Forbidden Red
by Michelle Claire Williams
Summary: Sequel 2 Rose Red: Everything seems to be back to normal, everything has been altered and erased from everyones memory, Grell and Rose can carry on their charade without worry, or can they? Someones memory was missed & now Sebastian is on the case GSxOC
1. Prologue

Prologue

'_Dear diary,_

_I don't know why I'm writing in one of these, I've never had the need to before, it always seemed like such a human thing to do but I guess that's the point of me doing this now. Anyway, it's only been a few days since my life changed, everything seems to be fine but I'm still worried, the ending to it all seemed too easy, I can't help but wonder if something is going to happen. In the back of my mind there's something worrying me, like I missed something. Father has told me not to think too much about it, he says that I should just go along with life and see where it takes me, so I suppose I should listen to him._

_There's a party tonight, Ciel's fiancée Lady Elizabeth has organised a surprise ball for him at the manor so he's currently out in town with that odd butler of his whilst the preparations are underway and I'm sat here dressed up to high heaven with nothing to do but write in this. I am interested to see if Ciel remembers anything but father told me that the bookmark is absolute, human minds are fickle things and easily altered...however I still wonder about the Shinigami, they're divine beings, they control the records so shouldn't they have some sort of warning if something like this happens...I don't want to ask him about it...'_

Rose looked up from her diary and listened carefully, the house was silent, she couldn't hear anything but then all of a sudden she heard something crash downstairs and then a stream of cuss words shortly followed, Rose smiled.

'_Well, it isn't that I don't want to ask him about it but it would ruin our little game, you see we're still playing lady and butler at the moment whilst things cool down and we make sure everything has gone to plan. I am Lady Burnett and he is my faithful butler Sutcliff and that's all there is to it as far as everyone is concerned. We started acting like this immediately after I had changed things in my record, I think it's just a way for us to accommodate our awkwardness at the moment, I don't know how to act around him normally and I think this act is our way of dealing with it._

_I can't stop thinking about that day we discovered each other properly and what happened afterwards, my body aches when I think of it and I want his touch more than anything but we've fallen into this strange performance and I don't think either of us know what we're doing. Maybe he feels as awkward as me or maybe he's just playing with me before he carries out his promise, its a cruel thing but I imagine I deserve it...though the thought of him teasing me in such a harsh way does fill me with an incredible want...what am I talking about!'_

Rose threw the quill onto the page she had just written and red ink flicked across the white paper staining it dark crimson, she rubbed her hand over her head and sighed, he was driving her wild acting like this, like nothing had ever happened, they had spoken to each other briefly but it had always been under their ruse and they had never spoken a word about past events involving the stolen records and all the trouble that had been cause or of their forbidden desire. Rose had been worried at first that he had forgotten but when their eyes had met she knew that wasn't true, they were full of knowing and want but he was holding back.

Downstairs in the hallway Grell was picking up a smashed expensive tea set that he had dropped whilst making his way upstairs. He had been extremely deep in thought and the clock had chimed six loudly catching him off guard, he had jumped at the sound and dropped everything in fright. Whilst he was picking up the tea set off the floor and muttering to himself he sighed loudly and threw it all on the floor again, this time on purpose, he sat down heavily at the foot of the stairs with his chin leaning on his hands and stared at the front door with a miserable expression.

"What the hell am I doing?" Grell whined to himself looking at his reflection in the glass, his hair was tied back and brown, his red glasses were stored away and instead he was donning his round ones and his face was free of any makeup, "Why can't I talk to her?"

After Rose had written in the record two days ago Grell had gone to fetch some tea but whilst he had been in the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil he had changed into his butler garb in case anyone had come round and then all of a sudden an uneasy feeling had crept over him, something like apprehension. Rose knew who he was, he knew who she was, they knew how they felt about each other and it made him feel incredibly anxious, a whole new journey lay ahead of them and he didn't know what he was going to do. The only thing that had come to his mind was that he would play out this charade with her and see if she said anything to him but she hadn't and he was starting to think that she didn't remember anything.

"She has to know..." Grell said staring into the eyes of his own sad reflection; Grell's eyebrows knitted together and he clenched his teeth becoming angry with himself, "This is no way to be acting, get a hold of yourself!" Grell said loosing his temper and standing up with his fists clenched, "I've been moping around for too long, its time she remembered what you're really like!"

Grell kicked the broken tea set with his foot irritably and then smiled chuckling to himself and pushing his glasses straight, "I've waited two days already," Grell looked up the stairs to Rose's door, it felt like the first time he had come for her a few days previous, all the anticipation building up in him and his body yearning. They were in the clear, if something had been wrong then they would have known about it by now, he could play faithful butler in the day in front of everyone as long as they had together but right now he wanted to be himself and he wanted Rose, "Here I come my dear, I hope you're ready for me." Grell grinned mounting the stairs, "But it doesn't matter if you're not, either way, there's no resisting me. I want you, and I get what I want."


	2. Chapter 1 MATURE CONTENT

There was a small knock on the door and Rose closed her diary and slid it in the drawer out of sight whilst mentally preparing herself, time to play the game again, when would this end? She composed herself and straightened up taking some letters in her hands and looking as though she were busy, "Come in." She said formally reading a letter that she's read at least a dozen times already about a meeting over some legal matters concerning her mother.

Grell heard her answer and opened the door stepping into the room, Rose was sat at her desk as usual busy with her affairs and paying not the slightest bit of attention to him, she was not acting as her mother had used to do, Madam Red had really ignored him, Rose however was pretending to ignore him, he could sense her nervousness at his presence and it sent a thrill through him at the power he had over her. Grell leaned against the doorway a stroked the frame with one gloves finger smiling wickedly over at her through his round glasses, she had no idea that he was going to drop this act within the next few minutes and completely ravage her.

Rose had heard him enter the room but he hadn't made any advancement towards her, he was probably waiting for her to speak to him, was he really that shy now? "Well, what is it? Can't you see I'm busy?" Rose asked not turning round, "I heard you drop something, you haven't broken another set of my mother's precious antiques have you, Sutcliff?" Rose listened carefully but it was as if he weren't here now and it sent a chill down her spine, Rose looked over her shoulder and saw his black figure highlighted in the doorway, she had expected to see a flash of red but there was none of that passionate colour.

Grell could see the uneasiness all over her face, she was trying so hard to keep her composure but he could see that she was frightened, every moment of this felt so incredibly delicious that he wanted to draw it out and play with her mentally first, ware her down so that she was broken and helpless when he moved in for her. He could see the slight flush of colour rising in her cheeks and the quickening of her breath, she knew that something was different this time in him but he would take his time.

"I'm afraid I did." Grell said in his butler tone pushing off from the doorway and entering the room fully in a couple of strides, Rose's face eased and she turned back round to face her desk, he'd obviously sounded convincing enough that her worries had eased.

"Another priceless heirloom completely ruined." Rose continued reading the letter in front of her, nothing had changed though she had been worried it had, Grell was still playing his part which meant she would have to as well, "You realise I will be taking it out of your salary." Rose raised her hand to dismiss him but something caught her wrist and her face snapped up to look, Grell had one white gloved hand clasped around her wrist tightly, she turned to look at him and panic raced through her as she caught sight of his razor sharp grin and yellow eyes burning down at her.

"I don't think so." Grell grinned pulling her up out of the chair towards him and grasping her around her waist, he ran one gloved finger down her cheek to her mouth and pressed it against her lips as she started to protest. "Shhhh." He said hooking the finger over her bottom and pulling her face towards his stopping inches away, "I'm sorry my dear but its time, I won't wait any longer..."

Rose was helpless in his arms and lost in those wicked eyes, her forbidden desires were coming true and now she remembered why it made her so nervous, he was very dominant and forceful when it came to how he wanted to play, he was strong and relentless and she knew that she wouldn't be able to resist, whatever he wanted he got.

"I am going to break you my darling, over and over," Grell smiled saying into her ear as he brushed his nose against her cheek gently, "For the rest of your days until you are the one that is...completely ruined...and there is nothing you can do."

Rose's heart was thudding so hard that it might have burst through her chest at any moment, his hot breath on the side of her face and going down her neck was insatiable, she felt so weak like he was draining her of her willpower, his words had both thrilled her and frightened her of what he was going to do her; she wanted him to do whatever he liked, since that day when he had first taken her it had been all she had thought about, the only thing to satisfy her in those two lonely nights without his touch.

Grell took his finger out of her mouth and moved both of his hands down onto her waist walking her backwards quickly and then slamming her up against one of the bedposts so that she cried out, he loved to see her in pain, it sent him aching to be free from his clothes. Grell grabbed at her neck forcefully squeezing slightly and lifting her onto her tip toes as she grasped both of her hands onto his arm with her eyes wide and her body trembling.

Rose was breathing hard and her cheeks were burning as she held on to his tensed arm trying to keep her balance, he wasn't hurting her he was just playing right now, reminding her that he still had the power to take her down any time he liked if she didn't do what he wanted. As long as Rose could stimulate his need and want then she would remain alive, so she would become his slave to desire, besides it was what she wanted more than anything.

"So pure and good all this time, acting the perfect noblewoman when I knew all along this is what you wanted, I could see it in the way you looked at me." Grell said easing his grip on her throat. "Did you really think we were going to play this game again for so long?" Grell laughed letting her back down onto her feet but still keeping his hand around her neck running a finger across the groove in her neck where her main artery was.

"I didn't want to play this game with you again." Rose said breathlessly running her hands along his arm up to his hand and over his exposed skin under his white glove, she lifted his hand jerkily away and bit the tip of his forefinger clenching the material of the glove between her teeth as she pulled his hand away, it slid off his hand and she let it fall to the floor as she drew his red nailed hand back to her face and placed the tips of two of his fingers into her mouth and sucked them gently.

Grell was overwhelmed by her flaming passion for him, he felt himself become harder at the touch of her soft lips, he felt powerless for a moment but quickly brought himself round, he wanted to be the one in control of her not the other way round, things would go as he wanted but still those lips were so desperate for him he might have given in to her control any moment if he hadn't been fighting so much for it instead.

"Ah ah ah darling." Grell said pulling his fingers away suddenly so that she stumbled forwards, "You do what I say or you don't get anything at all." Grell walked forwards smiling at her desperation and then pushed her backwards so that she sat heavily on the bed. "Stay there and don't move." He said stepping back with a sly smile as he unbuttoned his jacket.

Rose watched as Grell let his black jacket slide off his shoulders and down his arms to the floor, he moved his hands slowly up from his hips to unbutton his waistcoat then he pulled the ribbon around his neck loose so that it hung down his white shirt whilst he unbuttoned it halfway down his chest. He half smiled showing his sharp teeth ever so slightly while he looked down at her through his round glassed he was drawing down his nose slowly between his thumb and forefinger until they came off; she had never seen her shy clumsy butler look so powerful and confident in his life.

"Please don't tease me like this." Rose said getting to her feet but not daring to move any closer, he was giving her a severe look but was still half smiling.

"I'm afraid I have to." Grell said pulling the ribbon from his hair; he ran his fingers through his long tresses which started to turn back to his normal blazing red and shook out his hair so that strands fell around his face and in-between his eyes, "It would be so easy for me to let you have what you want but that's not what's going to happen," he said pulling his red glasses from his pocket and slipping them onto his face balancing them on the end of his nose and looking over at her with narrowed eyes, "This is all about what I want darling and teasing you is what I enjoy best." Grell shrugged back his shoulders flinging the waistcoat onto the floor with his jacket and hooked his thumbs over the front of the inside of his trousers drawing them down slightly and running the tips of them suggestively close to his crotch.

Rose's red haired reaper stood in all his glory full revealed to her once again and she felt all her will drained away from her, she would do whatever he wanted when he looked like this, she wanted him to take advantage of her for hours on end without a moments rest, locked in glorious rapture somewhere between pain and pleasure.

Grell could see the pained look on Rose's face that she had to stay where she was as bit down on his bottom lip and thought of the things he was going to do, it was not only teasing her to stay away from him but also driving him crazy having to keep his distance from her, he was feeling exactly the same aching as her but he didn't want her to know it, every moment he spent on this side of the room just made him even more riled up until he found his breaking point.

"Come here." Grell said beckoning her over with one red nailed finger, he watched as Rose walked to him hastily but he held out his hand and stopped her before she could embrace him, Grell pointed down at the floor, "No, on your knees in front of me..." Grell watched as Rose gave him an unsure look and then sank to the floor.

Rose knelt before Grell looking up at him as he slid his hands down to his trousers and undid them, he then pulled his shirt out unbuttoning the remaining few and let his shirt open and hang loose, he swiftly pulled himself free of his trousers before her eyes and before she had time to say anything he took hold of her nose yanking her head up and guided himself forwards pushing himself into her mouth; he ran his fingers over her cheeks and into her hair grasping hold of her and keeping her head firmly in place as he rocked himself backwards and forwards.

Rose gripped onto his legs for support as he violated her mouth almost choking his way down her throat, her eyes started to stream as she remained there unable to free herself helpless just to feel him drawing himself in and out groaning with a certain release. He pulled out halfway and tapped her cheek gently with his hand signalling for her to lick him; she ran her tongue over to top of him and around in a circle very gently caressing him as her tears slid down her face onto his fingers.

"Does it hurt darling?" Grell said pushing himself fully in once again keeping hold of her with one hand as he brought the other up to his face and licked the tears of the back of his hand, "Ah such sweet tears...yes it does hurt doesn't it my love but then pain is so close to pleasure." Grell pushed back as far as he could and heard her muffled cry as he reached her limit and withdrew again pulling fully from her mouth.

Rose fell onto her hands sobbing, he was so rough but at the same time so careful, he was testing her to see how much she could bend to his whims before he let himself fully go with her. Rose saw Grell crouch down in front of her, he placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face to look at him, tears still in her eyes and now trembling at his touch he looked pleased, her reaction was exactly what he had wanted and she didn't disappoint.

"Oh beautiful Rose," Grell said sliding onto the floor behind her on his knees, he took her long wavy red hair between his hands and lifted it all over her shoulder exposing her pale neck and shoulders then he leant forward and licked from her shoulder up her neck to the back of her ear blowing gently into it before he spoke, "I love the way you do what I want, the way you give yourself so easily to me and tremble at my touch...Now tell me darling...don't you love it when I abuse you like this..." Grell tilted her head round so that he could look into her eyes, as he looked into them he knew that she did but he wanted to hear it from her.

"Yes, I do." Rose said trying to move forwards to kiss him but he took hold of her hair and pulled her head back, Grell inched as close as he could and ran his tongue ever so slightly over the edge of her lips, another tear slid down her cheek and he moved back grabbing at the back of her corseted dress ripping it apart all the way down so that it fell away from her. Grell pulled at the dress vigorously until he had freed her from it and she was wearing only her white underwear then he turned her round so that they were both kneeling facing each other and kissed her finally unable to keep apart any longer.

Rose felt like a huge weight had been lifted, to finally be allowed to kiss those lips that she had been so desperate for, to feel his tongue in her mouth she eager to explore her was like sheer bliss. Rose cupped his face and ran over his neck and across his shoulders pushing the shirt off him as his own hands ripped at her camisole forcing their way inside and around her breasts. Grell's hands didn't stay there for long; he slid them around her back and onto her ass lifting her up and forwards onto his lap where she could feel him pushing up against her through the thin white cotton of her cotton French knickers.

Grell broke their kiss and bit her lip hard slightly drawing blood which he licked clean before he lowered her onto the floor with her legs still wrapped around his waist, her white knickers had now become sheer from her wetness and he drew two fingers over her feeling her swell before he pushed them aside to reveal her and run very gently down the middle opening his fingers like a scissor motion and parting her, Rose groaned quietly at his touch.

"Has it been agony wanting this touch? Wanting me to do these things to you and not getting them?" Grell said pushing a finger half inside her and drawing it out teasingly.

She looked over his face as his eyes remained down her body looking fixedly down at her, his cheeks were burning hot like hers and she knew it wouldn't be long before he got what he had been longing for. She watched as his eyes strayed back up to her and he grinned at her malevolently. Grell grasped hold of the wet crotch of her pants and yanked it aside angling himself in and pushing down fast and deep so she cried out and grasped onto the top of his arms digging her nails in.

"Has it been torture wondering when you would feel me in you again?" Grell said pulling away and then slamming his hips back down against her then moving them in a circular motion grinding inside her until she couldn't stop herself from crying out.

"I wanted you so much; every moment was like an eternity." Rose said lifting her head and kissing the underside of his jaw at every chance she could whilst he rocked against her pushing in as far as possible. "Oh god, fuck me please, I need you. Grell please..."

At the sound of his name Grell stopped his circular motion, he wrapped both of his arms under her back and started to move himself out as much as possible without leaving her and in so far and deep as he could, she lifted her hips against him whilst he pounded against her, he moved his mouth over one of her breasts and gently bit and sucked her nipple drawing blood once again and grinned up at her face contorted in ecstasy. The sight of her was driving him over the edge, he could feel it, it was so hard not to lose himself all a sudden, he was holding on as much as he could but it was no use, he could feel himself coming, he half had a mind to pull out and stop but he couldn't now, he had wanted her as much as she had wanted him all this time.

"Damn girl, I...can't...hold on..." he exclaimed leaning forwards and kissing her sloppily too enraptured to concentrate properly, "Ah ah..." he groaned and Rose saw his eyes closing and looking dazed as he slammed himself into her extremely hard the last few times before he groaned loudly and she felt him swell to his full extent inside her, "Oh darling...yes..." he held on to the moment as long as he could then fell against her exhausted.

Grell's face eased and he leaned in towards her kissing her passionately cupping her face, he rolled onto his side pulling her into his arms so that she was leaning on his chest panting for breath and he sighed deeply looking down at her. Rose's eyes were still full of tears but that wasn't what he was looking for, he searched deep into those eyes staring tiredly across the room and saw what he was looking for, past the tiredness there was a beautiful anguish she was trying to hide from him, he had nearly got what he wanted, she was very close to breaking.

"So weary my love?" Grell grinned at her running a hand over her cheek, Rose closed her eyes and kissed his fingers softly.

"Isn't that what you wanted?" Rose said, "To torture and ruin me."

Grell chuckled to himself, "Hm. Well my darling, that was hardly torture or ruin, I was being incredibly gentle by my standards, even tender you might call it," he gently stroked her hair tugging at it firmly so that she opened her eyes and was forced to look up at him, "You see sweet Rose...I've hardly begun at all."


	3. Chapter 2

The carriage pulled up outside the Burnett house and a black figure jumped down from where it had been sat driving the horses. The hallway lantern of the house had been lit and was flickering away, upstairs there was a light on as well, the figure could see it through the small crack in the curtains they were trying so hard to peer through.

Sebastian had come to collect Lady Burnett for the surprise party, all the other guests were there already and Lady Burnett was the last to be picked up. He stood for several moments looking up at the window wondering about the woman he was about to escort, was there really something about her that was missing to him? He needed to know what this strange feeling was, why he had had that vision of her injured and unconscious before him.

Sebastian pulled the doorbell and it rang within, his eyes flitted up to the window as he saw a shadow pass it by, the next thing he heard was the rushing of feet down the stairs in the hall and then the latch of the door lift and the door swing open. There before him stood Grell Sutcliff looking quite the convincing butler, plain and incompetent but Sebastian knew better, this butler was more deadly efficient than he looked.

"Good evening, I have come for Lady Burnett." Sebastian said flatly looking past him into the hall to search for any sign of Lady Burnett but Grell leaned against the door frame blocking his view and smiling smugly to himself.

"She's just finishing dressing." Grell said vaguely, "She'll be down momentarily, I'm sure."

"Very well I will wait in the carriage." Sebastian said giving Grell a suspicious look, he wanted to know why he was smiling like that, it was a horribly devious smile.

"Oh don't you want to speak to me anymore Sebby?" Grell pouted, "I have missed seeing you despite being rather busy recently. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of each other as the time rolls on." Grell sidled up to him grinning.

"You need to be careful that the Lady doesn't see you like this, I'm sure it would be quite a shock if she knew what you were really like. If she found out about what you did to her mother." Sebastian said moving away.

"Now that would be something wouldn't it." Grell grinned amusedly; Sebastian had completely forgotten everything and was now swaying so close to the truth that he wanted to laugh. "Not to fear Sebby darling, I've got everything under completely under control." Grell loved his choice of words; he did have everything under his control, everything that mattered, like Rose.

"We shall see about that." Sebastian said looking over Grell suspiciously noting that Grell's bow around his neck was not exactly tied too well, like it had been done in a hurry.

Sebastian's concentration was broken away from Grell as he caught a glimpse of Lady Burnett coming down the stairs, she looked very beautiful as always but what was surprising was that she wasn't wearing her normal black and white ensemble, she was wearing a tight red long gown with elbow length red gloves and her red hair was piled up high with a red rose in the back of it. There was something about her that was very different; some sort of change in her aura which he could see with his demon eyes was pulsing weakly around her.

"Good evening my Lady, I have arrived to take you to the ball." Sebastian said bowing low as Grell moved aside and resumed his normal butler attitude.

"Thank you Sebastian." Rose said looking over the black butler, there was a lot she didn't trust about him and she wanted to know what it was, it was definitely something inhuman, he could move so quickly and was so skilled at everything, he couldn't merely be a butler.

Grell took his coat which had once belonged to Madam Red from the coat rack and walked up to Rose placing it around her shoulders and secretly ran his finger across her shoulder so Sebastian couldn't see before he moved away, he saw her shudder slightly and held back a grin that was trying to spread across his face, it would be so much fun to tease her slyly behind everyone's back whilst they were out in public.

Sebastian jumped up on to the front of the carriage and watched Rose and Grell from the corner of his eye whilst he waited. Grell pulled the door shut and locked it behind Rose then he opened the carriage door and held out his hand to take as she got inside; it would have all seemed very ordinary to the normal butler but Sebastian picked up on things no one else would, like how Rose was slightly hesitant to take her butlers hand and meekly uttered a thank you, like how in return her butler had held on to her hand tightly and not let go until he really had to.

Sebastian knew that Lady Burnett had a fondness for her butler from what Ciel had talked to him about but she did not know what he was truly like, how it would have devastated her to know the truth and how he would have killed her if she found out. Lady Rose was safe for the time being, Grell seemed to have no adverse thoughts about her yet but Sebastian wanted to know why he was still keeping this facade up when he could simply put an end to her and be free of the Burnett's.

Rose jerked slightly inside the carriage as Sebastian set off for the Phantomhive manor, she knew that tonight was going to be difficult; not only in seeing Ciel and all the others but for how she had to act around Grell. Rose looked up at her butler who was leaning against his hand staring at her with his yellow green eyes and grinning wickedly, her cheeks flushed thinking of earlier and she tried to look away but she couldn't tare herself from him.

"You look so beautiful in red," Grell said quietly so Sebastian's ears would not pick him up so easily, "I'm glad I chose that for you, thought right now I would like to see it lying on the floor."

"It looks like you won't be able to get what you want for once." Rose smiled back at him triumphantly; "You will certainly be the one teased tonight having to watch me having fun in this sexy red dress and unable to lay a hand on me."

"On the contrary," Grell said in a malicious tone, "The more I have to stay away from you the worse it will be when I can finally lay my hands on you." Grell moved over to her side of the carriage so that she shuffled into the corner and leaned against it, Grell leaned over her and kissed her lightly wrapping his arm around her waist as his other hand found her hand and he locked his fingers between hers squeezing her hard, "I can withstand being apart from you for a few hours, it's you that can't function without my touch." Grell said squeezing her side and then making little circles on her bare back under his coat with one finger.

"You're so horrible to me." Rose smiled leaning forward to kiss him but he pulled away leaving her desperate for more.

"I know," Grell said pushing up his glasses and leaning against the other side of the carriage, "But you like that don't you? Say it." Grell lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it gently.

"I love what you do to me." Rose answered longingly.

"Good girl." Grell grinned widely showing his teeth, "Tonight should prove rather interesting, it will be informative to see how your change in history has gone. It seems that everything is fine but we'll see wont we. I have a feeling you're not exactly convinced either, too easy didn't you say?"

"Yes," Rose said breaking away from him and looking out of the carriage across London, "It feels like I missed something, that something is going to go wrong. I've been trying to ignore it but my intuition never fails, that's why I am interested to see Ciel tonight, to see if it was something I missed with him. I am planning to go and see father tomorrow though."

"That weirdo," Grell tutted rolling his eyes, "I still can't believe _he's _your father, though it does make a certain amount of sense. Do you think he'll have much to say about it?"

Rose shook her head, he'd told her before just to forget about it and get on with her life but the human part of her was still worried, "I don't think so, I just want to see him anyway, I miss him."

"I'll come with you tomorrow," Grell said huffing, "Not for too long though, I've been far too good these past few days," Grell took hold of the top of one of Rose's arms and pulled her into his side kissing down the side of her neck and over her shoulder biting gently as she moaned quietly into the fabric of his black jacket on his shoulder, "I want to have some more fun. Don't you?"


	4. Chapter 3

The Phantomhive manor came into view suddenly behind the trees and as it pulled in at the front door Grell and Rose tore themselves apart as Sebastian quickly opened the door and peered inside, he'd been very quiet and fast that Grell and Rose had nearly been caught out. Both of them sat collected and calm as their hearts pounded so loudly they might have given them away, Sebastian's eyebrow twitched irritably, he had been so sure that something odd had been going on but they both looked normal.

"The other guests are all in the ballroom, I will be going to pick up the master now. Please help yourself to some refreshments Lady Burnett,I will be back shortly." Sebastian said holding out his hand for Rose to take, Rose didn't want to touch him, there was something very horrible about him, especially those eyes but she didn't want him to think she was suspicious so she reluctantly took his hand and got out closely followed by Grell.

Sebastian watched as Lady Burnett walked up the steps into the manor with Grell close in tow smoothing out the train of her dress; he turned away and climbed the front of the carriage snapping the reins, he had never questioned his judgement before so why now? There was something strange going on but he didn't know what, yet.

Rose took a deep breath, anxiety had never ruled her but right now it seemed to be like a shadow following her around, this was it, she would find out tonight if anything were amiss. As she stood in the hall looking around and listening carefully to where the guests were chattering away ahead in the ballroom she felt two hands slip over her shoulders gently.

"Something wrong my lady?" Grell said stroking her shoulders suggestively before he pulled the red wrap from about her shoulders and draped it over his arm. He walked around to her side and they both gave each other a furtive knowing look both trying to hide smiles that were trying to creep onto their face.

"No," Rose said looking away from him and adjusting her dress and hair, "Come on, time to see how good at acting we really are."

Inside the ballroom there were already a lot of guests including the Phantomhive staff, Rose's eyes darted about the room trying to take in everyone and see if there was actually anyone she knew but she was at a loss, she hadn't attended many social occasions when she had finally come to claim her heritage as a Burnett despite the endless invitations and correspondence she's received and gracefully declined saying that she needed time to adjust. Rose could see several heads turn in her direction and then hushed muttering, every now and then she would hear her mother's name mentioned and as it spread about the room she saw several people, most of them men, all start to approach her from different angles.

'Okay,' Rose reassured herself mentally, 'Remember you can do this, there's nothing you can't do, father taught you that.' Rose flashed her most charming smile and walked towards the approaching guests who were all smiling back now and looking quite bedazzled, Rose greeted several of the men, all nobles like her and they exchanged words of remark and offers of condolences and help for the future; Rose was very good at acting the perfect Lady and never said a word out of place that would lead them to believe she was anything other than Madam Red's daughter.

A little blonde girl with pigtails waited patiently from Rose to stop speaking and then as she turned to face her the little girl curtsied and then clasped her hands together looking starry eyed up at Rose, "Finally we get to meet! Oh you're absolutely beautiful! I must say that I did get quite upset when you walked in...you look like her so much in that dress."

"You must be Ciel's fiancée, Elizabeth." Rose smiled at the little girl who was nodding eagerly, "Yes Ciel has told me so much about you."

"He has?" Elizabeth said unable to keep herself from squealing, "Oh I would love to know!"

Rose chuckled to herself, "Well I imagine there will be plenty of time for that, I expect we shall be seeing more of each other in the future?"

"I hope so!" Elizabeth said, "It's so nice to have another Lady in the family, it's so hard when you're around men all the time."

"I know what you mean." Rose said glancing back over her shoulder; her butler was standing back from her but not too far away.

"It was so terrible what happened to your mother." Elizabeth said sadly, "She was such a wonderful person, I'm sure she would have been so proud to have a daughter so beautiful and refined as you. I hope one day the person responsible will be punished for the heartache they caused us all, especially you Lady Alexandra."

"Thank you," Rose said as an odd feeling came over her, Elizabeth's words had caught a raw nerve in her, something she had been doing well to ignore but now the feeling had been stirred and she felt a little rage sweep up her but she quickly dismissed it, "We can only see what the future holds."

Grell watched Rose as he stood a short distance from her, she was still speaking to Elizabeth but there were others all waiting their turn to speak to her, talking amongst themselves vaguely and drinking but their eyes always trailing back to the Lady in red who was so perfectly elegant and stunning that she lit up the room. Grell would love to watch these men all try their luck with Rose, fighting amongst themselves for her attention and not getting anywhere; Rose would only be going home with one person tonight, her butler.

Rose remained close to Elizabeth who wouldn't part from her for a moment, Elizabeth introduced Rose to the remaining nobles who she didn't know and also to some of Ciel's friends and acquaintances including Prince Soma and his servant Agni and Lau and his lady Ran-Mao, they were all very keen to speak with Rose but none of them dared ask the taboo question about her history and how she had come to find out about her heritage, that was something between Ciel and her.

"Lady Elizabeth!" Maylene squealed running up to the little blonde girl, "I've just seen Sebastian driving the carriage into the front of the estate, the masters finally here!"

"Right everyone!" Elizabeth said as loudly as possible, "He's here, everyone be very quiet until he comes in and then when I give the signal give him a big round of applause!" Elizabeth ran off to the door and peered around the frame as the other guests quietened down and waited patiently.

Sebastian pulled the carriage in front of the house and got down and opened the door, Ciel got out looking tired and stretched, "Finally home at last." Ciel said walking off and not waiting for Sebastian, "I'm looking forward to sitting down and relaxing this evening. Exactly how I want my birthday to be. Sebastian run me a nice hot bath, I need to unwind," Ciel got into the hall and Sebastian took his hat and cloak not saying a word, "You're unusually quiet this evening," Ciel said suspiciously eyeing his butler who was smiling in an amused way, "What is it Sebas-" Ciel paused and looked over to the side of the hall, a shocked look came over his face as he took in the image of Elizabeth running over to him.

"Ciel! You're finally home! I've been waiting for you!" Elizabeth said wrapping her arms around him.

In the ballroom all of the guests were stood silently listening to what was going on it the hall, Rose had noticed that several of the noble men that she had previously been introduced to had edged in towards her, she had an idea that they might have wanted to ask her for the first dance once the party started properly and were trying to improve their chances by sideling up to her. Rose didn't want to know any of them, they were all so ordinary, so human, they would never be a match for her, not like him.

Elizabeth pulled Ciel jerkily around the door frame and all the guests clapped and cheered loudly moving in towards him to offer their congratulations, music started to play on the balcony at the far side of the ballroom and the party finally begun. Ciel kept his temper as minimal as he could as he was pulled around by Elizabeth to and fro from guest to guest as presents and drinks were pushed in his direction which he kindly received.

Several men tried to stop Rose as she made her way over to Ciel, "I'm sorry gentlemen, please excuse me I must go and offer my congratulations to my dear cousin. I will be free to speak with each of you shortly after." Rose slipped through the men carefully as they all loomed in towards her closely clearly dazzled and unabashed by her reluctance to speak with them. Rose wanted to speak with Ciel as soon as possible; she wanted to set her mind at rest that nothing was wrong.

"Ciel." Rose said finally reaching him, he turned to face her and looked her up and down with a very straight and severe look but then a small smile crept onto his face.

"Rose, you look lovely." Ciel said.

"As do you cousin." Rose smiled widely, everything was all right, everything would be just fine. "It's nice to see you again. Happy birthday."

"Thank you." Ciel smiled up at Rose happily without any hint of anger or fury unlike the last time she had seen him.

"A drink for you master," Sebastian said coming over to Ciel's side and offering him a drink on a silver tray, then he offered one to Lady Elizabeth and then finally he looked at Rose with his dark red eyes, "And for you, Lady Burnett?" Sebastian said holding out the tray with one remaining champagne flute on it.

Rose looked over Sebastian properly for what seemed to be the first time, he was tall and lithe with a perfect slim physique, he held himself straight and humbly but at the same time with an air of power and defiance and his long black hair hung in curtains around his roguishly handsome face and framing those dark red burning eyes. Sebastian was defintetly not human, she could see it now, those were the eyes of an evil creature, they were the eyes of a demon.

Rose had only encountered demons a handful of times in her past, they usually kept to themselves and she had never had the chance to get on the wrong side of one of them, she knew that like reapers they only had interest in human souls.

Rose took the champagne flute and broke her gaze from Sebastian, she would look into the matter of him at some point but right now Ciel was the one that mattered, "I'm sure this must have been a bit of a shock for you." Rose said to Ciel gesturing around the room at the party ensuing.

"Yes well, I've never been much good at social occasions unlike you and your mother, you know that, parties really aren't my thing," Ciel sighed and Elizabeth shot him a distressed look, "However Lizzie seems to have put all her heart and soul into this so I am sure it will be an exception to the rule."

"Oh Ciel," Elizabeth said linking on to his arm tightly, "You make me so happy, I hope you have a wonderful night! Now, dance with me!"

"W-what?" Ciel stammered as Elizabeth pulled him off on to the dance floor. "No wait Lizzie stop!"

Rose smiled as she watched Ciel trying to find a way to get out of his situation but it was impossible, Elizabeth was a very persuasive Lady. A wave of relief swept over her, Ciel didn't remember anything, she had done a good job of her changes in the record in covering her tracks and would now be able to find peace and get on with the rest of her strange life.

"He seems very happy." Sebastian said and Rose's eyes shot to the butler all in black whom she had nearly forgotten was stood so close to her, "Not a care in the world tonight."

"Well he deserves to have his mind taken off things every now and then," Rose said drinking the champagne from her glass, "I know how he feels sometimes, we lost both our parents."

"Yes and you both wish to see those responsible reprimand for their crimes." Sebastian said giving her a sly smile and sideways look as he noted the irritation that she was trying to hide, he knew that she didn't like being around him for some reason but if only she knew the truth about why. Sebastian looked over Rose all adorned in red like her mother and then the flashback he'd had earlier hit him again and he could almost taste her blood once more.

"You speak very boldly for a butler, you might want to watch your choice of words." Rose warned Sebastian and his eyes glinted back at her.

Grell was stood against the back of the room with the other house staff including Maylene, Tanaka, Finnian and Bardroy who were all enjoying themselves and making merry. Grell watched Rose stood speaking with Sebastian, he wanted to know what was passing between them that they were staring at each other so intently and looked so deep in secret conversation.

"Lady Burnett is very lovely." Grell caught Finnian saying and it broke his gaze away from Sebastian and Rose .

"Yes she's definitely lovely." Bardroy grinned elbowing Finnian in the ribs. "Hey Grell!" Bardroy shouted over to Grell who rolled his eyes quickly before the three of them all walked over to him. "Enjoying the party?"

"Oh yes, very much." Grell lied in his timid butlers voice.

"Looks we're all going to be made a bit redundant tonight, especially you, looks like Sebastian's got everyone including Lady Burnett covered this evening." Finnian said gesturing over to Sebastian who was hanging very close to Rose as she tried to ignore him and speak with the other guests.

"I'm sure she'll need me at some point." Grell said as he tried to keep his eyes off Rose but they kept straying over to her.

"Doubt it." Bardroy said, "No one's as good a butler as Sebastian, he'll make sure she gets everything she needs."

Grell felt something shoot up his spine and he gritted his teeth together to try and hold his temper in, he was starting to get annoyed with the Phantomhive staff, despite his reluctance to admit it he was feeling a little inadequate right now, as he beheld Rose looking so alluring and all the men surrounding her including Sebastian he finally came to realise exactly what the feeling was, jealousy.

"Lady Burnett thinks very highly of me I'll have you know, she's told me many times how much she needs me." Grell said defensively and smiling, it was true, Rose had told him she needed him, especially recently, he had nothing to worry about.

"You two just leave him alone." Maylene said in Grell's defence and both Finnian and Bardroy apologised, "You're very lucky to have such a lovely mistress Grell, she looks wonderful tonight, I've never seen her looking better!"

"I helped choose her outfit myself." Grell smiled proudly, the dress he had chosen for her had been one of the last things Madam Red had bought but never worn, he'd kept it for himself to wear at some point but he had wanted to see Rose in it and she hadn't disappointed him. "After Lady Burnett's somewhat sheltered past life she relies on me quite a bit for formalities and how to dress."

"You've got a good eye." Maylene said, "Maybe she's the lucky one to have you."

"Yes she is," Grell said staring at Rose with his yellow green eyes adoringly, "But then we are lucky to have each other."

Rose was starting to become a little irritated with the attention she was recieveing from all the men, soon she would have no choice but to dance with them and she knew that those yellow green eyes would be watching her from afar, what would happen if anyone other than her butler laid a hand on her, would she be the one punished for it when she returned home? Curiosity dared her to find out, the thought of punishment made her only want to do it more, Grell was having a strange affect on her that brought out her darker side, a darker side that she had not seen since her younger years growing up with her father.

Ciel was looking at Rose with concern, he could see that she was trying to hide her boredom with enthusiasm as the men pestered her, "Sebastian," Ciel called his butler over and said quietly, "Go and do whatever you can to get Lady Burnett away from them all, I don't want to see her distressed, I want to see her enjoying herself."

"Very well master, I'll see what I can do." Sebastian said leaving his masters side and walking towards Rose.

Rose was going to loose her temper any minute now, it was becoming incessant, "Really gentlemen I have so many people I want to talk with," Rose said backing up from the men but they were coming closer and protesting in a friendly playful way, Rose could feel her anger swelling up in her; Lady Alexandra Burnett might have put up with this a bit longer but Rose Winter would take them all out in on swoop of her death scythe if they persisted anymore. Rose could feel it coming, she was coming to the end of her tether, any minute now she was going to blow her cover, she backed up so much she bumped into someone.

"Lady Burnett," Sebastian said over her shoulder as he swiftly placed one hand on her hip and took her hand in his other spinning her round to face him, "My master has asked me to make sure you enjoy yourself."

"What do think you're doing?" Rose said as he pulled her off with him staring down at her with dark red eyes, he was smiling cruelly and she couldn't release herself from the demons hands locked on to her. Sebastian span her round quickly still smiling evilly and then turned her back to face him locking an arm around her waist and pulling her into him closely.

"The Viennese waltz my lady." Sebastian said as he took in the beautifully innocent delicious soul shining through the wide worried eyes of the lady in his arms. The master wanted to make sure she enjoyed herself and Sebastian would do everything in his power to make sure that the masters orders were upheld.


	5. Chapter 4

Sebastian moved Rose around the ballroom floor with the greatest of ease, she was very light and even though he could feel her reluctant resistance emanating through every pore in her body he didn't need to use much force to lead her in the dance. He could feel how horrified she was by the look in her eyes; she might have set him alight if she had not been trying to maintain a composed face and demure smile in front of all the guests.

"This is hardly appropriate." Rose said to Sebastian as her eyes scanned over everyone's faces when she passed them by, "I don't think a Lady should be dancing with a butler." Rose caught a glimpse of Grell's face as Sebastian swung her very close by and she couldn't help but think he had done it on purpose.

Sebastian smiled as he saw Rose and Grell catch each others eyes, "A very good point, a Lady should never been seen to be on equal terms with a member of her staff, in fact it would be very inappropriate for a Lady to do anything with her staff, especially her butler."

Rose tore her glance away from the other guests who didn't look too bemused and were all now joining them on the dance floor for the waltz, she looked up at Sebastian and still smiling as much as she could she shot him a disregarding look, "What are you trying to insinuate?"

"Nothing at all my Lady," Sebastian laughed, "I was merely pointing out the fact that a Lady should know her place, as should a butler."

Rose knew very well what he was getting at, Sebastian was very quick to pick up on things, she would have to be careful around this demon, he was clever, "You're not just any butler though are you Sebastian?" Rose smiled knowingly and Sebastian smiled back cruelly.

"You seem to have damaged yourself Lady Burnett, there's a small cut on your bottom lip." Sebastian said changing the subject and eyeing her ruby lips and the small incision, "You also seem to have a rather recent injury on your left arm also." Sebastian said nodding to a small flash of white bandage poking out of the top of her long red gloves.

A cold trickle ran down Rose's back, he was too good, "I had a riding accident; you know that Sebastian, you helped attend to my injuries." Rose said, she had to test if he would remember.

Sebastian's face lost its smile as he searched his memory, there was something blocking him from trying to remember but then he did remember something, it was a very vague image of Rose in the Phantomhive manor, Ciel was there and they were talking then the image changed to him dressing the wound and then lying her in her bed back at the Burnett house, then that all familiar taste of Rose's blood.

"Yes," Sebastian said trailing off, so that was how he had tasted her blood, everything seemed to fit into place but still there was something wrong with it all, "I'm so sorry my Lady I seem to have...forgotten."

Rose smiled happily to herself, yes her changes in the world had been airtight, still she would have to watch herself around Sebastian though, he was very intelligent and now she wanted to know what his intentions were to her cousin Ciel, she hoped it was nothing malevolent which is usually the intentions demons had with humans.

"That's all right Sebastian; after all you're only human." Rose said gingerly knowing that it would get some sort of rise out of him, he didn't disappoint, his eyes flashed at her and he smiled widely swinging her round faster that before and gripping into her side with his strong inhuman hand.

Sebastian could tell that she knew something about him, she was deliberately taunting him now and he hadn't done much to keep his cover, there was certainly something very odd about Lady Burnett and he would look into her history when he got the chance, her aura was not like any normal human there was a tinge to it that he had sensed before, it was like Grell's, maybe she had been around him too long and his strange aura had rubbed off on her, or maybe it was something else, could Rose possibly know who Grell was?

"Wow Sebastian's such a great dancer!" Finnian said as he stood next to Grell and they watched the two of them swoop by again. "And Lady Burnett too, they look very good together. I'd say they're the best dancers out there."

"I told you didn't I?" Bardroy said crossing his arms, "Sebastian's the best at everything."

Grell stood leaning against the wall casually with his arms crossed and a composed face as he watched Sebastian and Rose swinging around the floor, his calm exterior merely masked the complete opposite to what he was feeling inside, complete and utter white hot rage. Grell's eyes burned into the back of Sebastian's head wishing him, for the first time ever in his adoring life of Sebastian, dead. Grell wanted to run over and rip the demon to bits, as much as he had always wanted Sebastian's hands all over his body exploring him, he didn't want them to touch Rose, she belonged to him.

Grell knew that the dance would only last a short time more but he couldn't bare to stand there any longer and not do anything, he couldn't make a scene in front of all these nobles including Ciel or their struggle to rewrite history would have been completely in vain so he had to just stand here, it was torture.

"I hope everything is in order at the Burnett house and that Grell is doing you good service." Sebastian said trying to pry her for a reaction.

"Oh he is, I'm very fond of him, he's a wonderful butler, I can't fault him." Rose said singing Grell's praises, she wanted Sebastian to know that her loyalties lay with her butler and not him.

"How nice to hear that he's improved, from what I've seen in the past he was a rather incompetent idiot." Sebastian said trying to wind Rose up and it worked, Rose's face changed and she let her smile slip for a second.

The music stopped playing and Rose pulled herself out of Sebastian's grip, "I'll have you know Sebastian that he's a better butler than you could ever hope to be. You might be perfect at everything you do but there's no heart in your actions," Rose moved in close to him, "You do your job for your own selfish reasons, don't you?" Rose stared hard into Sebastian's demon eyes and he didn't say a word, his intentions towards Ciel were malevolent, "I thought so," Rose pulled back a gave him one last knowing smile, "I love my cousin Sebastian and I would do anything to protect him, remember that." Then Rose walked off leaving Sebastian a little stunned but even more intrigued to find out about her.

Rose knew it, Ciel had made a deal with a demon, so that was how he had been so fast and able to fight so well in the past. There was nothing she could do right now, she would have to find out more about contracts between demons and humans when she went to see her father tomorrow.

"My lady." Said a timid voice coming up behind Rose, she turned around and saw Grell walking towards her with a drink shyly looking up at her but she could see that his yellow green eyes were flaming with rage and she knew it was to do with Sebastian, just as he reached her he slipped forwards and the drink came hurtling through the air towards her until the liquid all poured out and splashed against her dress soaking her, "Oh my Lady I'm so sorry!" Grell exclaimed grabbing at a cloth on the table and getting on his knees in front of her trying to wipe it dry.

Rose blushed furiously, not from embarrassment but because she had not seen Grell so submissive since she had last been Alex Winter and had caught him in the bathroom at the dispatch; it had reawakened something in her that Grell's recent dominant persona had made her forget about, the power that she had as Lady Burnett over her butler.

Rose's eyes looked around and the other guests were all looking appalled at Grell's behaviour and the fact that Rose was merely stood there letting this happen, "Honestly Sutcliff," Rose said tugging her dress out of his hands sharply so that he fell forwards onto his hands looking up at her, "Can't you do anything right! Come with me and help me see to this at once." Rose said tugging him by the shoulder to his feet as she walked by him and headed out of the room.

Grell stood for a moment watching Rose walk away from him and he blinked a few times swallowing hard, this was a familiar feeling, to be feeling helpless and ordered around and even though he knew that she was only acting the part in front of everyone it had sent waves of desire running through him, it was forbidden for a butler to want his Lady so much. Grell hurried after Rose desperate for her touch, it was so odd that they should switch positions like this so regularly but he liked it, it made their relationship so much more fascinating.


	6. Chapter 5

Rose walked up the stairs to the second floor of Phantomhive manor in a hurry still keeping up the act that she was furious whilst Grell scurried after her constantly apologising as much as he possibly could. When she reached one of the first doors she pushed it open and entered into the darkened room where she stood with her arms crossed tapping her foot waiting for Grell to close the door, once he had done this Rose eased a little.

"I'm so sorry my lady." Grell said breathlessly as he watched her looking down at him in disregard, Rose gestured him over and he took a few steps towards her until he was close enough so that she grabbed hold of his collar.

"Grell Sutcliff I..." Rose said staring into the eyes of her butler who whose cheeks were blushing furiously, he was looking up at her with such innocence in his eyes, Rose couldn't do it, she couldn't be mad at him or dominate him in this dress, it didn't feel right. Rose let go of his collar and turned away from him, "Grell I can't...I can't do this..."

Grell knew what she meant, he didn't feel right like this, it would have been so easy for her to do it if she were under the pretence of Alex again but she wasn't, she was his Rose. Grell hurriedly walked over and wrapped his arms around her holding her tightly and kissing the back of her neck sloppily knocking his round glasses askew, "It's alright my darling... But I want you at home, now!" Grell demanded running his hands down her body and tugging her skirt up revealing her stockinged legs. "We're just going to leave here."

"I can't, not yet," Rose said turning around in his wild embrace, "There's something I need to know..." Rose said between his persistent wet kisses, "That butler," Rose said trying to pull away as his mouth drew in again and started to kiss down her neck as his white gloved hands tugged at her dress trying to free her from it, "Wait, I want to talk about Sebastian."

Grell pulled away and his eyebrows drew down as he gritted his sharp teeth together, Grell looked over Rose's face, she was trying so hard not to give in to him right now and it made him even more desperate for her, "What about him." Grell said holding back his anger as best as he could, he didn't like to be stopped to talk about Sebby right now, he'd had enough of all this downstairs, he was starting to get worried. What exactly had passed between Rose and Sebastian in such a short time? Grell still remembered the time Sebastian had spent all night in her room and it still angered him to this day, had something happened between them after all?

"What's a demon doing with Ciel?" Rose asked.

"You've only just realised?" Grell asked astonished, he thought that Rose had known all along, so that's what all this was about, there was no need to have thought as he had, with such jealousy. "I don't know darling, probably what always happens between demons and humans, contracts I expect. From what I've gathered Sebby's quite attached to him, explains all the times he brushed me off, stupid man."

"You think Ciel's made a contract with him?" Rose said aghast.

"Probably, looks that way, though Sebby seems to be taking his sweet time over devouring his soul." Grell pulled Rose back towards him and kissed her again silencing her before she could say anything else, Grell knew where Sebastian was coming from by taking his time with Ciel, Grell wanted to do exactly the same thing with Rose before her soul became his.

"This is awful." Rose said.

Grell pulled away and looked down at Rose giving her a hard look, "I think it's time we left darling, I've had enough, those men have been monopolising you all night and I'm certainly not going to let any of them lay a hand on you again. I want to take my mistress home now. I want some attention." Grell took hold of her arm and started to pull her out of the room but he ground to a halt as he saw Sebastian stood in the doorway.

"Hey!" Grell exclaimed releasing Rose instantly, "How long have you been there!"

"Is there a problem my Lady?" Sebastian said looking over Grell's shoulder at Rose.

"No." Rose said walking past Grell and up to Sebastian, "Sutcliff spilt a drink all down my dress." She sighed acting very cool and composed, "I'm afraid it's ruined the whole night for me, I was just coming to say goodbye to Ciel." Rose held her head up high and walked from the room leaving Grell and Sebastian alone.

"Grell," Sebastian said slowly eyeing the reaper in disguise, "If I didn't know any better I would say that you're up to something."

Grell grinned widely, "Up to something, me? You're paranoid Sebby." Grell laughed.

"I'm not stupid, I can see you have untoward intentions with Lady Burnett and I would advise you to stay your distance from her unless you want to incur the young master's wrath. He would be most upset to find out that the man who killed his aunt is now fooling around with her daughter, his only living relative." Sebastian warned him, he had opened the door whilst Grell had been talking about wanting her to come home and having her attention completely to himself, and Sebastian found it sickening.

"Hm." Grell said his face dropping, so Sebastian knew there was something going on between them but as far as he was concerned Rose didn't know what Grell was truly like, he could deal with that. "Such a killjoy. You might be jealous after all."

"Don't be so repugnant." Sebastian said, "Now pull yourself together and attend to your Lady like a proper butler, I will call a carriage to take you both home." Sebastian gestured to the door and Grell sighed and walked out closely followed by the black butler.

Sebastian didn't like what was going on, Lady Burnett somehow knew that he was a demon, Grell was all over his mistress and somehow not acting the same way as he usually did to him, and then there was the matter of the strange feeling that filled him that something was missing. There was definitely something strange happening, Sebastian would keep a very close eye on Lady Burnett and her butler from now on, because whatever was going on involved them.


	7. Chapter 6

Rose made her goodbyes to Ciel and Elizabeth in the hall whilst Sebastian and Grell hung back, Rose agreed to a visit from Ciel soon but explained she would be busy the next day, she didn't tell Ciel exactly what as she had plans to go and see her father and Ciel could not know who he was yet. Elizabeth seemed distraught to be seeing Rose leave and in turn Rose said that she and Elizabeth would also spend some time together in the near future.

"Well you must come and visit me," Elizabeth said taking Rose's hand and then Ciel's "And you must bring Ciel with you too! We'll go hunting and have tea in the afternoon and go boating on the lake, it will be lovely to have everyone together!"

"That's an idea." Rose said as enthusiastically as she could as she couldn't think of anything she'd like less to do, Rose hated the noble life, she wanted to go back to home with her father, back to her Shinigami life, but that wasn't possible, she wouldn't leave Grell now.

"Thank you for coming," Ciel said eyeing her dress, "It's a shame you have to go, I wanted to speak with you a little more but it will have to wait now." Ciel shot Grell a disregarding look.

"We have plenty of time." Rose said looking back at Grell and wondering how much time she actually did have, how much time he would allow her. "Good night Ciel and you too Elizabeth." Rose was about to make her exit when the little blonde girl caught her up in a tight embrace, Rose felt very awkward, she didn't exactly hate children but she hadn't spent much time around them, unless they were dead.

"Goodbye Alexandra." Elizabeth said letting her go and waving as Rose walked out of the door followed by Grell.

Sebastian helped Rose into the carriage and then turned towards Grell with a dark look, "Take heed of my words Grell Sutcliff, the master would be most upset if any harm came to Lady Burnett and this time I won't let you off so easy."

"Is that a promise?" Grell said raising and eyebrow and blowing Sebastian a kiss before he got into the carriage then he flashed him one last sharp smile before he and his mistress set off into the night.

"I'm glad that's over with." Grell yawned looking over at Rose who was sitting with her arms folded looking sullenly out into the night, "Darling?"

Rose was furious, Ciel had made a dead with a demon and she knew how situations like that ended, the fact that Sebastian was drawing out the whole situation made things even more sickening to her, she wanted to do something about it but she needed more information first, information that would only be gained from a visit to the Undertaker, her father.

Grell noticed the distant look in her eyes, they were so cold and far from him, he didn't like it, a thought occurred to him that she was thinking about Sebastian and his eyebrows drew down in anger, "Darling." He almost growled at her and Rose's eyes snapped to her butler and her concentration broke as she took in his yellow green eyes bearing down at her, "You're rather distracted. Didn't I say I wanted some attention?"

Rose felt a cold shiver down her spine; he could still send fear rushing through her so that her heart and adrenaline started pumping, "I'm sorry." Rose said quickly as he moved in on her suddenly pinning her against the back of the carriage, "I-I'm sorry! I was just thinking about-"

"About?" Grell said raising an eyebrow and taking in her panicked expression as she fought for words, he found it complexly irresistible when he could exercise his power like this. "About him?" Rose started to stammer but he wouldn't let her speak, "About Sebastian!" he said grabbing her hair and pulling her face right in towards his.

Rose could see the hurt in Grell's eyes he was trying to mask with anger and she suddenly knew why he was acting like this, he was jealous. Did he did truly care about her more than just reaping her soul? Grell must have been trying to hide this all night and her heart broke when she thought of how he must have felt when Sebastian had danced with her. Rose didn't struggle under his grasp as he held her hair tightly with no intention of letting go, instead she moved with his tugs forwards and kissed him pushing him back in the opposite seat and climbing astride him running her hands over his chest.

"N-no," Grell said trying to pull himself away but failing miserably, he was still paranoid over the whole thing and very hurt but he couldn't resist her kissed and touch, "Stop it..." Grell said as Rose slid her tongue into his mouth and over his teeth, her kisses were sweet and passionate and so hard to fight.

"I want you," Rose said cupping her hands under his chin as she kissed all over his face nudging his glasses aside with her nose as she did, "Only you, no one else. Believe me. I'm yours."

"Mine?" Grell gasped as kissed around the side of his face and her sweet hot breath caught his ear as she started to bite and lick his ear.

"Yours." Rose said trailing down his neck and pushing his collar aside so that she could kiss him further down.

Grell lost himself in the moment, everything he had been worried about simply disappeared and a large sharp grin spread across his face, he had been so stupid to think like that, of course she was his and she thought only of him, and now he would never let her forget it. Grell took hold of Rose's chin whilst she was kissing down his chest unbuttoning his coat and making her way to his short buttons, he lifted her face up so that he could look into her eyes, "Not yet my Lady." He said in his butler's tone but hardly looking the shy innocent type with his wild lustful eyes and large grin, "You will just have to wait." Grell would exercise his control again and make her remember who called the shots in their liaison.

Grell pushed Rose back across into her seat and stroked her confused desperate face gently before he sat back leaning on his hand and looking smugly at her. Rose looked flustered and a little disappointed but Grell knew exactly what he was doing, he wanted to make her yearn for him every waking moment, he wanted all her thoughts to be constantly like him and it was working, Rose was completely ensnared by him, she had never felt like this before in her life, so utterly devoted to one person.

Growing up with her father she had been introduced to the Shinigami life but had never been a part of it, Grell encompassed everything about that world that was ideal and perfect though many would have debated the fact. Rose had lived a human life and never fitted in with any of the others around her, humans were so ordinary and boring; Grell was intense and exciting she simply couldn't get enough of him.

Rose was falling, fast and hard.

The carriage dropped them off outside the Burnett house and pulled away; Grell led the way into the house opening the front door and going inside with his back to her, Rose followed him picking up her skirt so that she didn't fall over, that was usually her butlers job but she wasn't following her butler right now, she was following her reaper. Once inside Rose closed the door quietly and Grell turned round smiling with one eyebrow raised suggestively, Rose couldn't hold back, she hurried over to him and flung her arms around his neck as he responded quickly taking her in his arms and lifting her off the floor kissing her intensely as he stumbled back and they fell onto the foot of the stairs locked in a passionate embrace.

"Mine, only mine." Grell said rolling over so that they were both lying on their sides writhing in ecstasy and fumbling with each other's clothes trying to free each other.

Grell pushed up so that he was over her and started to hitch up her skirt and run his hand over her stockinged legs fiddling with the clasps that kept them up whilst Rose's hands made their way up to his hair and pulled away the red ribbon holding it in place letting it fall long, loose ad free. Grell reached up and pulled off his glasses throwing them to the floor, then he undid the bow at his neck and sat back pulling Rose with him and quickly looped the bow around one of her hands and then the next tying it tightly. Rose didn't need to ask what he was doing; she could clearly see his intentions spelled out in his amorous eyes.

Grell paused and his eyebrows furrowed as his eyes looked to his left, the next thing Rose knew was that he had stood her up to her feet and was pushing her in the direction of the lounge, "Quickly, go in there." Grell said looking a little worried as he kept glancing over his shoulder to the door.

"What is it?" Rose said but then she too paused and she knew what was worrying Grell, she could hear footsteps coming up the drive to the front of the house.

Rose and Grell darted into the lounge and edged close to the window peering through the netted curtains; there coming up the drive was a tall black figure with a seriously severe and determined look on his face, Rose and Grell both panicked their eyes widening.

"Will!" they both exclaimed.


	8. Chapter 7 MATURE CONTENT

William T. Spears was on a mission to hunt down Grell Sutcliff, he was in the worst possible mood and the fact that he had to come here made it even worse. Will scanned over the house in the late evening wondering where abouts Grell would be at this moment in time, he wanted to spend as little time as he could here, he had work to do.

Will was about to knock on the door when it opened in front of him and there stood Grell looking a little shocked, it was one of the first times he had ever seen Grell wearing so little makeup and Will thought that he looked quite normal, even manly for once.

"Will...haha...how lovely to see you." Grell said quickly and nervously closing the door behind him, he had thrown on his glasses and put his hair back so it looked slightly neat again, "What are you doing here?" Grell was trying to determine whether Will remembered anything about past events, the last time he had seen him he had been about to reap Rose's soul and that had made Grell very angry.

"Grell Sutcliff, is this where you've been wasting your time?" Will said looking over the lavish town house and then back to Grell noting his butler outfit, "Still tied to the Burnett's."

"Ah yes, there is that." Grell laughed nervously.

"I've been sent to track you down," Will said eyeing Grell suspiciously, Grell swallowed hard and felt his blood run cold, "There's a mountain of paperwork sitting on your desk and you have been avoiding work for two days now."

"Oh is that all." Grell laughed.

Will gave Grell a cold look; this wasn't a laughing matter, "Is it safe to presume you no longer want to work at the dispatch?"

"No!" Grell exclaimed, "Of course I do! Will don't let them fire me!" Grell caught on to Will's arm and Will yanked himself away, Grell was still annoying and the same as ever even if he did look normal for once.

"I suggest you get back to dispatch and resume your duties, first you might take care of that paperwork, then it's back out in the field as soon as possible, London had been severely neglected in your absence and there's souls to be collected and verified." Will shoved a handful of books into Grell's arms and he staggered back under the weight. "I expect to see you at dispatch early tomorrow to get on top of things." Will bowed and turned on his heel.

"Ah Will," Grell waved him back and Will looked over his shoulder with a tired look, "There might be a problem, you see...well...I have things to do here...I can't just run off."

"I don't care how morbidly attached you are to this family, work comes first," Will said adjusting his glasses, "You're a Shinigami not a butler, remember that." Will turned away and walked off, "Bright and early Grell Sutcliff." And with that Will jumped off out of sight leaving Grell struggling with the book in his arms.

Grell was relieved that Will didn't remember anything after all, he could return to work and go back to normal without being reprimanded by the Shinigami for his actions, it would be great to get back to wielding his death scythe and doing what he did best, he had gotten rather lazy and out of shape over the past months, he was itching for some action but wasn't that what he had here, though it was a different sort of action.

As Grell carried the books into the house he remembered when he had been tracking down Alex and all of action he'd had then, he had enjoyed the chase and then all the excitement at the dispatch when he had been an instructor. Rose was an incredible opponent, her combat was not as finely tuned as his, more of an A to his AAA but still she was more than a match for him, he would dearly love to fight her again if he had not wanted to take her every time he laid eyes on her.

Rose was stood by the window in the living room, she must have been watching things nervously thinking the same things as him, that Will would remember something and he was coming for them. Rose looked down at the pile of books Grell had now thrown onto the couch; she walked over and gave Grell a confused expression.

"So if he didn't come for us then what _did_ he want?" Rose asked still trying to get her hands free of the bow he'd tied around them earlier so that she could pick one of the books up.

"Nothing much, I just have to go back to work." Grell said rolling his eyes at the books as he caught sight of them again; it would take him days to get back on top of things. "Starting tomorrow."

Rose felt something heavy in her chest at his words, Grell would be going back to work, back to the dispatch, back to wielding his death scythe and she would be left here alone. Rose felt depressed only slightly because Grell would be gone for a while but more so that he would be going back to his life as a Shinigami and she would not. Rose felt sore and envious of Grell, she had loved being at the dispatch as a trainee, it felt like where she was supposed to be and now she couldn't go back.

Rose tugged her wrists apart irritably trying to free her hands but he'd tied them too tight, Rose held her hands towards Grell not looking at him, "Can you take this off now." Rose said and waited to feel his hands on her wrists but they didn't get there, Rose looked up and Grell was smiling at her wickedly.

"I don't have to go to work til tomorrow darling." Grell said hooking a finger over the loop of the bow and walking backwards guiding her with him towards the hall, "We've had enough interruptions for one day don't you think," Grell moved in and swept her up into his arms kissing her gently with his lips barely brushing hers, "I'm having you all to myself now and no one's going to stop me." Grell carried Rose carefully up the stairs still teasingly kissing her as he made his way to his room and not hers.

Rose had never seen inside Grell's room before and though she was so distracted by his sensual kisses and gentle bites on her lips she could not help her eyes from darting around his room as he kicked open the door and carried her inside.

Grell's room was utterly lavish, it must have been the biggest bedroom in the town house and she suspected it once had belonged to her mother. In the middle of the room was an immense four poster bed decked out in red silk sheets and cushions and black sheer drapes hanging over the top. There were wrought iron candelabras scattered around with half melted candles flickering away as the only source of light, Grell had blacked out and blocked the windows so that no light could come in. Everywhere she looked little skulls were decorating objects all over the room and at the foot of the bed was a large roaring fireplace with large pillows and throws scattered in front of it and an open box of half eaten chocolates.

As Rose looked around her face changed from awe to anxiety, she had only just noticed the other things littering the room, on his dressing table was a vast array of makeup, perfume and pictures of people stuck to the mirror, hung on his wardrobe on one side was a short red baby doll night dress and matching red silk dressing gown with a pair of marabou heels underneath and on the other side was his Shinigami uniform, boots and coat. Attached to the top of his bed was a pair of heavy duty looking handcuffs on a chain lying in the sheets and there were also some other very kinky looking objects strewn across the floor next to his bed. Rose hadn't been taken into his bedroom; she'd been taken into his dungeon of depravity.

"I finally get to bring you in here." Grell said putting Rose on the bed and leaning over her grinning as he pulled off his glasses and the ribbon from his hair once again stroking out his long red tresses and putting his red glasses on so that he could see properly. "I can relax so much more in here knowing all my things are close at hand."

"Ah," Rose said as he licked down her neck and bit her shoulder hard drawing blood and swiftly licking it away, "My hands, please, my wrists are hurting."

"No need to worry, you won't need to use them, your butler is here." Grell said flipping her over so that she was kneeling on the floor and stretched out across the bed as he held onto his bow restraining her wrists and stretched her arms high up so that she couldn't move.

Grell used his other hand to slowly unlace the back of her dress this time taking his time as he kissed the back of her neck and spoke to her, "You don't know how hard it was for me tonight," Grell said finally freeing her dress open and stroking her smooth pale bare back with the tips of his fingers, "All those men swarming round you trying for your attention." he said pulling the dress down to her knees and looking down her body.

Grell had picked the outfit for her earlier that evening and the only underwear he'd given her had been a black suspender belt and stockings from his own collection, she looked delicious in them and he felt himself grow hard as he took in her slight but perfect womanly curves, "And why wouldn't they swarm around you? I made sure you looked irresistible tonight," He said tugging his glove off with his teeth, "I watched you all night fighting them off, knowing that if you didn't deny them I would be angry when we got home," Grell stroked her face and she trembled at his touch, "You did your best darling but I can't forgive you for dancing with Sebby, even if it wasn't your fault." Grell licked down from the back of her neck all the way down her spine until he couldn't reach any further without straining his arm he was trying to keep her outstretched with.

Rose felt utterly helpless and exposed, he clearly wanted to degrade and humiliate her but Rose didn't care, she wanted to be punished, it was strange to be treated like this, unusually erotic; she loved their illicit relationship and all the forbidden things he wasn't afraid to do to her. Rose had spent her life in control, she was the one to take matters into her own hands, the one who always won the fight, now Rose felt released from all that whilst she was under his command.

"It wasn't my fault, he just pulled me onto the floor," Rose explained breathlessly as she felt a red nail running down her spine very very slowly and a small amount of pain which suggested that she would be left with a small cut going down after he had finished, "Ah Grell." She moaned as he got all of his nails and ran them down her back.

Grell edged close pressing his hips against her exposed ass so that she could feel him hard against her then he swiftly reached forwards and took hold of the handcuffs lying on top of the sheets and snapped them around her wrists removing the bow afterwards. There was nowhere for Rose to go now, he'd had this planned since earlier when she was getting dressed, everything was in place. Grell stood up and watched as Rose looked around to him, there was still something missing from what he had been imagining in his mind to happen; Grell tugged his red hair ribbon he had taken from her wrists between his hands tightly and smiled widely at her anticipation then he looped it around the front of her face between her lips and tied it at the back tightly.

"Cry for me darling." Grell said holding her face between his hands and kissing her forehead tenderly.

Rose felt her cheeks and body burning up, she had never experienced bondage like this before and she could feel herself so wet as she clamped her legs together aching so badly it was starting to become uncomfortable. Rose watched as Grell walked around the bed and lay across it in front of her smiling, he unbuttoned his shirt and left it hanging loose so that she could see his gorgeous smooth toned chest and hard pink nipples pressing through the thin white fabric. How could he keep so calm when they were like this? Rose knew that he enjoyed doing it to build himself up even more but she worried that if he did it too much he would lose control of himself and really hurt her.

Grell's heart was pounding as he looked down at his lady in bondage, he had never felt so turned on before, this was exactly the type of thing he had always wanted to be done to him with a man but with Rose it was different, he wanted her in his place and he to be doing all the things that he would have wanted a man to do to him. Grell kicked off his shoes showing his red socks and then laid back on the bed running his hands up the inside of his thighs to his crotch where he unbuttoned his trousers and pulled himself free stroking himself gently so that she could see.

"I want you to watch...ah..." Grell said realising that he was more close to the edge than he had imagined, "But not touch." he said running the forefinger of his left hand around the tip until it glistened with pre-cum over his red nail, then he took hold of himself with his right hand, the hand that he had less control with, and held out the left to Rose's face pushing her gag aside and shoving his finger in her mouth for her to lick and taste.

Rose tasted his sweetness in her mouth and could do nothing but suck and longingly watch this red reaper exhibitionist as he ran his skilled hand over himself squeezing tight and then letting go as his face contorted in ecstasy as he held himself back from climax. Rose watched as he let himself go and pulled his left hand from her mouth putting the gag back in place, then he got up off the bed and walked around the back of her, he used his feet to nudge her legs apart and then she heard a thump on the floor; Rose turned her head to see what he was doing but she couldn't see him anywhere and then all of a sudden she heard him.

"So ready for me so soon." Rose heard Grell say and then she realised where he was.

Beneath her lying on the floor in between her legs.

"Are you in unbearable agony yet?" Grell said as he ran his hands over her bare thighs and tugged at her suspender straps playfully, "No, you're not yet, I can't see any tears, but soon..." Grell blew gently onto her and she whimpered into the sheets, he was driving her insane but that was his intention, she wanted this as much as him.

Just when Rose thought that the teasing would never end she felt Grell's hair brush the inside of her thighs as he lifted his head and started to lick her aptly. Rose's head jolted back and her eyes widened as she felt him exploring her and enjoying every moment of it as he lapped up her sweetness. If this wasn't absolute bliss then she didn't know what was. Grell was amazing, everything he did was with perfect skill and precision, he knew his way around a woman's body so well; Rose knew what Grell was like around men and could only put his skill down to the years he'd spent in the mindset of a woman, remembering things for the day he might have to be one.

Grell licked deliberately and slowly across her, she tasted so sweet in his mouth that he didn't want to miss any of it, bringing his tongue around to the front he flicked it over her clit and then drew up and sucked it gently so that he heard her cry out in pleasure and it made his harder and more desperate to be in her. Grell pushed back and licked down her one final time as he slid out from underneath and staggered back around to the bed throwing himself across it again and pulling his red ribbon from her mouth.

"Our fiery passion burns deep, no?" Grell said completely satiated with the power he had.

Rose was trembling uncontrollably and he could see a glistening in her eyes which made him launch forwards shoving his tongue in her mouth making her taste herself on him; those tears were so close now, he wanted to taste them mixed with that sweetness of hers. Grell kissed her sloppily with intention so that it made her lips wet as his saliva and her sweetness covered her, Grell wanted her doused in their juices.

Grell lay on the bed with his feet near the headboard and his face looking up at hers, he wrapped his hand around the chain attached to her handcuffs and pulled her up over him onto the bed until her face was over his lowered trousers and his was between her legs again. Grell tugged the chain suddenly and she fell forwards onto him nearly choking herself, Grell listed his head up and started to lick her again as she got her balance and started to lick him in turn and take him into her with caution. Grell's mind was doing overtime, the most debauched things were running through his mind, as he licked from her clit backwards across her he pushed her forwards forcing himself into her mouth hard and licked right past where she was wet up to her ass.

Rose tried to pull away from him, this was a shock, she knew that he was inclined that way and the first time that they had been together he had violated in this way with his fingers but now he was taking it a step futher. She felt Grell's fingers touch her wetness and he pushed one inside her while he continued to use his tongue on her ass, she couldn't help but notice embarrassedly that what he was doing to her was turning her on even more.

Grell's mind was racing, so many things to do but he couldn't do them all at once, that would ruin everything and he was enjoying himself so much. Rose's mouth over him licking and sucking so well coupled with what he was doing to her back here was making him realised that things would be coming to a close soon. Grell pulled his head away and pushed Rose off him onto the bed so that he could kneel up then he pulled her back forwards whilst she was on her hands and knees and gently angled himself back in.

Grell felt himself hardening in her mouth as he reached his peak and he smiled rapturously as he felt Rose trying to push him away knowing what he was going to do, "Struggle darling, I love it more when you do." Grell said drawing himself in and out quickly as he felt her tears finally hitting his skin and himself build to a finality, Grell's eyes rolled up in delight and he shrieked loudly as came, he pulled out slowly and heard Rose's sobs as he looked down and saw himself saturated on her face.

Rose couldn't help the tears, he had pushed so far into her she felt like she couldn't breathe at one point, she had been a prisoner to his whims and she had liked it more than any normal person should have. Rose looked up and saw his grin but something about his look said that he wasn't done with her yet; she watched as pushed her down onto his soft silk sheets on her side and then lay behind leaning on his right arm and reaching over to touch her with his left.

"What kind of butler would I be if I didn't consider the needs of my lady?" Grell whispered in her ear using his fingers to stroke across her with just the right amount of pressure and speed that he knew she wouldn't be long either. Grell kissed her shoulder watching her face as he felt her swell beneath his soaked fingers and her breathing becoming shallower as she held her breath but still managed to gasp and moan.

"Oh, Grell...yes...oh...oh..." Rose said feeling her release gaining as his fingers moved quicker, then her body ruptured with satisfaction and she fell panting against him as he moved his hand from her to his mouth and licked his fingers before flicking the clasps on her handcuffs setting her free.

Grell kissed the side of her head nuzzling her hair and breathing in her natural scent so deeply that it filled him and he sighed staring down at her, "My sweet Rose," Grell said turning her round so that he could see her, Rose weakly embraced him and he grasped her tightly back, "I wish I could torture you again tonight my love but unfortunately I have to be at work early." Grell and Rose both kissed fervently for a while then pulled away looking into each other's eyes.

"London will be a more sensual and dangerous place with its red reaper highlighted against the moon once more." Rose said kissing his neck so she didn't have to look at him, she'd never spoken romantically before but he brought it out in her and she wondered if he would laugh at her.

Grell was lost for words, he felt himself blush in a different way that he had moments before, he felt his heart swell at what she had said. So many times had he wished for sweet nothing's to be uttered to him by the men he desired but now that they came from Rose's lips it had surprised his that he only wanted to hear them from her for the rest of his days and nights. Something was happening to Grell that he had only feigned before.

Grell was falling, fast and hard.


	9. Chapter 8

Rose opened her eyes and thought that she'd gone blind, she couldn't see anything around her, then slowly her vision adjusted and she realised she must have passed out in Grell's room after the previous nights activities. Rose heard something close by and then caught sight of something red, she blinked a couple of times and sat up stretching and pulling the cover around her bare body.

Grell was sat on the end of the bed bent over tying his shoes, he was wearing his Shinigami outfit and she remembered how amazing he looked dressed normally. Rose smiled and crept up the bed, he still hadnt noticed that she had woken, when she got to him she slid her hands up his back over his shoulders and around linked her arms around, she nudged away his hair with her nose and kissed him neck gently.

Grell grinned and reached up his hands taking hold of her arms, "You should go back to sleep." Grell said turning his head to look at her, "Haven't I exhausted you enough yet?"

"I don't want you to leave." Rose said as he turned round with his shirt and waistcoat still undone and the ribbon around his neck hanging loose.

"Well neither do I but duty calls." Grell sighed rolling his eyes.

"Your duty is to me," Rose said smiling knowingly, "You still haven't fulfilled your promise."

Grell grinned and pulled Rose round onto his knee still wrapped in his red silk bed sheet, "So eager for death darling?" Grell said nudging his nose against hers playfully, "I only have a duty to you as your butler and do I look like your butler right now?"

"You are my butler no matter how you look." Rose said starting to fasten his shirt and waistcoat buttons then tie his ribbon, "Shy, innocent Butler Sutcliff or wild, passionate Butler Death."

Grell felt his cheeks redden a bit, he had been reminded of the thought that had crossed his mind the previous evening and it was now screaming to get out of his mouth and say it to her but he held back, he didn't think it was right to say something like that right now.

"Go on then," Rose sighed finishing tying his ribbon, "I have things to do as well I suppose." Rose got up and walked into the middle of the room still wearing the sheet but managing to drape it around her suggestively, she knew it would wind him up.

Grell couldn't take his eyes off her, she looked incredible all the time now and he hated that he had to leave but wouldn't that make things so much better when he returned home to her? Grell watched as she walked across the room looking around the floor for her clothes, when she found her dress she bent over to pick it up and he caught a flash of her beautiful white legs leading all the way up until she pulled the sheet around her and smiled at him with a shy expression, she knew he had been watching her.

"It's four in the morning," Grell said standing up and trying to distract himself by pulling on his red coat but he couldn't keep his eyes from straying over to her, "What can you do at four in the morning?" Grell opened the wardrobe and pulled out his death scythe slinging it over his shoulder.

"I told you," Rose said eyeing the death scythe anxiously as she walked over to the door, "I'm seeing my father today." Rose opened the door and waited a moment taking in the image of her red haired reaper, he looked magnificent stood there with that dangerous smile and scythe in hand, she found herself thinking that she wanted him to fire it up so she could here that mechanical buzz as he chased her through the house with her soul just within his reach.

"At four in the morning," Grell said raising an eyebrow, "Well I wouldn't put it past him to be up at this ungodly hour."

Rose smiled, she was looking forward to spending a day with her father, it had been too long, she'd had a hectic few months and she'd only seen him a few hours at a time. Rose looked over Grell who was straightening his hair out and checking himself out in the mirror and posing, somehow Rose didn't find it odd, she found it rather sensual, she had forgotten how he usually acted back at the dispatch, would anyone notice if he acted differently?

"See you tonight," Rose said waiting for Grell to look over and when he did she smiled and bit her lip, "I'll be waiting for you," Rose watched as Grell's face started to change and she knew what was going through his mind, Rose stepped through the door as he watched her go and she looked over her shoulder with an inviting look then she dropped the red silk sheet to the floor, "You can have this back too." Rose flicked it up at Grell with her foot then walked out and closed the door.

Grell pulled the sheet off his head and threw it to the floor running after her with a huge grin spread across his face, when he opened the door and looked out he caught a last glance of her closing her bedroom door and looking at him wickedly, "So cruel." Grell said biting his own lip, "Damn, not time for this now." Grell knew that if he didn't get going soon he would be late as usual and that would not go down well with Will. "I'll get you later darling, be sure of that!" Grell laughed and skipped off down the stairs, time to do some serious reaping.

Rose had heard Grell go down the stairs and felt disappointed that her plan to keep him longer hadn't worked but she knew he was itching to get back to dispatch and how could she not let him, she dearly wanted to go back herself but she couldn't. Rose looked out of the window and watched Grell striding up the rose garden with the death scythe over his shoulder, just before he reached the bottom he looked over his shoulder and saw her, Rose blew him a kiss and he blew one back spinning around on the spot and bowing low before all she saw was a glint of his teeth and he jumped off quickly.

The London streets were dark and deserted as Rose walked them on her own, she had no fear of being assaulted, she could handle herself better than most women and the fact that she was not entirely human helped. Rose turned a corner and came to the main street; a few buildings along she came to the Undertaker's parlour but went around to the side alley where she would use the hidden back door instead. Rose stood in front of a brick wall and then uttered something under her breath and a green light shone out between a brick snaking around in a line until an arch appeared and she walked through with it closing up behind her.

The Undertaker's parlour was nearly as pitch black as Grell's room had been but Rose knew her way around this place like the back of her hand, the door had led her into the mortuary where all the bodies were kept, it was cold in here and for the first time in her life she felt the cold more than anything, she'd been living in the comfort of that big stately house so long she had forgotten how she had always been accustomed to cold here.

Rose pushed the door leading into the main shop and she slid inbetween coffins until she stood in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips, the place seemed empty but she knew it wasn't. Rose smiled, she'd played this game before with him countless times and it never got old, "This again?" Rose said audibly and she looked around her, she was stood in the middle of five coffins.

When Rose had been growing up she and her father had played lots of games, all entirely morbid and this had been one of her favourites. The Undertaker would be in one of these coffins, all she had to do was find him, if she guessed right she would get a treat, if she guessed wrong she would have to fight him. Rose had gotten pretty good at it as she had got older, her senses so finely tuned that all she had to do was stand near one of the coffins to sense whether there was someone alive or dead in there. The fact that her father was a Shinigami made her even better at it, now Rose could sense others who weren't human, others like Sebastian.

Rose walked around in a circle with her arms folded looking over the coffins until she stood next to one looking down at it and smiling, Rose slid her hands onto the top of it and caught the catches with her thumbs then she yanked with all her might throwing the lid across the room, "Got you-" Rose exclaimed but she paused and concerned look crossed her face as she took in the image of its occupant, it was not her father. It was just one of his customers.

There was a little laugh from behind her and Rose turned quickly, a coffin on the other side had been pushed open and she saw a pair of illuminated green eyes looking at her in the distance, "Wrong child." The Undertaker said tapping his black nails against the side of the coffin as he stood up dragging his death scythe behind him.

The Undertaker jumped forwards and swung the death scythe out at Rose, she bent backwards just in time before it cut clean through her stomach. Rose started to run around the room flipping the lids of the coffins whilst the Undertaker chased her and she had to dive out of the way, when she reached the last coffin she threw the lid off and grabbed at the silver scythe glinting up at her. Rose smiled as she grasped it between her hands and ran at the Undertaker whirling it around her in an arc, it narrowly missed the Undertaker's head as he smiled and only moved slightly like it had been nothing to him.

Rose made several sweeps with the death scythe towards him until both of their scythes clashed together and the Undertaker shoved her back so that she stumbled into one of the coffins, Rose struggled to sit up and when she looked up the Undertaker's scythe was hurtling through the air, for the first time Rose panicked and held up her arm, "No, father stop!" she exclaimed.

All was quiet in the parlour, Rose opened her eyes slowly and looked at her father who wasn't smiling anymore, his hat had come off and his green yellow eyes were staring at her disbelievingly through his silver grey hair. The Undertaker lowered the scythe to his side and gave Rose a hard look, Rose had only seen him like this a couple of times, he was usually very cheerful but this look was a look of disappointment and surprise.

"Stop?" The Undertaker said slowly, "Little blossom asks me to stop." He trailed off deep in thought. "You've never asked me to stop before."

Rose got out of the coffin looking guiltily, he was right, she'd always been one to fight right to the end even if it was against her father, he was thinking the same thing she was right now though she didn't want to admit it, something was wrong.

"I don't know what wrong with me." Rose said turning around and putting her scythe down in the coffin, she didn't want to look at her father's disappointed face. Rose felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned around to look at the Undertaker who had slight concern in his eyes but he was smiling nonetheless, Rose smiled back and he pulled her in for a hug.

"You've been spending far too much time in that big house, that's what's wrong. It's nice to see you blossom." The Undertaker said leading her over to the back of the room where there was a table and two chairs, he lit a melted candle sticking out of a used bottle of poison and then used the match to light the fire in the stove and put a kettle on top of it and sat down. "So how's life now that all the fun is over?"

Rose smiled, "Fine." She said shortly, the fun was far from over in her life.

The Undertaker poked her nose, "Fine? That all it is?" The Undertaker sat back regarding his daughter, "There's a look on your face I recognised, it's a look that I had once. Long ago, before you were born."

"Yeah?" Rose said sorting out a couple of cup and pouring the tea from the boiling kettle then she opened a cupboard and pulled out a small pot that looked like a canopic jar and put it on the table opening the top and pulling out a biscuit in the shape of a bone. "What look is that?"

"The look that only devotion can bring." The Undertaker grinned taking a biscuit from the jar, "You're in love blossom."

Rose spat her tea all over the floor in shock and started to cough and struggle for breath, "I...cough...don't...cough cough...know what...cough...you're talking about." Rose said finally finishing spluttering and giving her father a discerning look.

"Ah love, what I would give to be young again and like you are." The Undertaker said whimsically staring off into space but then he looked at her with slight amusement, "It's that effeminate reaper isn't it, the one you've promised your soul to." The Undertaker said blinking almost teary eyed at Rose who was still looking quite annoyed but blushing furiously, "How romantic." He said leaning back again and sighing. "Deny it all you want, you cannot deny what's in your heart."

"Let's talk about something else." Rose said pouting and chewing on her biscuit.

"Yes I think we should." The Undertaker said with a more serious tone, "Perhaps about how lacking you are in combat at the moment?" he gave her a hard look and she looked guilty again, "Your senses have been dulled living in the Burnett house, I think you should start training again."

"Is there any point?" Rose said darkly, "I can't go back to dispatch."

The Undertaker grinned at Rose, "Why not?"

Rose looked up at her father, he had a mischievous look in his eyes which meant trouble and Rose couldn't help but smile then she shook the thought from her mind and returned his a serious expression, "There's no need to go there anymore, my vendetta was a pointless display. To fight for the honour of someone I never met, she was only an icon of motherhood to me, your my real family. If anything I did it for you. For your amusement."

"And yours blossom." The Undertaker said taking a slip of tea and then staring off into space again, "That was a lot of fun; I wish we could do it again." The Undertaker started to laugh, "And none of them are any the wiser to what happened. Stupid dispatch agents."

Rose smiled, it was true, things had smoothed over nicely without any flaws to the plan but then Rose remembered why she had come to see her father tonight. "There's something I wanted to ask you about actually."

"No charge for family." The Undertaker winked at her. "Go on child."

"It's about Ciel," Rose said, "Well, more about that butler of his."

"Oh yes, the demon." The Undertaker said taking in Rose's surprised face, "I know all about his contract with the earl. That _butler_ is going to help him avenge his parents death and the people who humiliated him and then he's going to devour his soul, that old thing. Yes that's old news. What about it." The Undertaker looked into his daughters eyes, "Don't tell me you've grown attached to the earl."

"He's family. Apart from you he's all I have." Rose said. "I don't want to loose him."

The Undertaker shrugged, "You will though. He'll end up in one of my lovely coffins eventually, completely sucked dry of that precious human soul his butler craves."

Rose looked dejected, "There must be something I can do."

"A lady can't do anything, she's supposed to go to parties and look pretty and get married then have children and then the whole cycle starts over again." The Undertaker said jokingly winding her up and it was working, Rose looked even more depressed than before, "But a Shinigami," The Undertaker said lifting up her chin to look at him, "Can learn how to get around a demon and solve this problem." Rose knew what her father was getting at but she couldn't go back to dispatch.

"I can't." Rose said pulling her chin back and leaning on the table on her folded arms with a biscuit sticking out of her mouth, "I caused too much trouble last time, I can never go back." Rose looked up at her father who was smiling.

"You can do whatever you like; you're my daughter after all. Haven't you still got my little pink bookmark?" The Undertaker said and Rose sat up again.

"Yes." She said curiously.

The Undertaker clapped his hands together, "Well then, if anything goes wrong again then you can use that to get yourself out of mischief. Don't worry about messing up the order of things, life thrives on chaos, we're only helping things along. After all-"

"It's the Shinigami that are trying to contain life not us, the deserters." Rose said finishing her father's sentence. Rose thought to herself that he was right, she had become far too contented and lazy living the high life, she wanted to go back to excitement and danger, it was the life she wanted and had always known. "You're right...I don't care if I can't go back...I want to go back, and I will."

"Good girl," The Undertaker said patting her head, "Don't ever forget who you are blossom. You are _my_ daughter." The Undertaker and Rose mirrored each other with their exactly matching smiles, father and daughter getting back into trouble again, Rose felt a thrill shoot through her, she was going back.

"Now, how about another little game of pick the coffin?" The Undertaker said with a grin.


	10. Chapter 9

Grell sat in his office staring at the huge pile of paperwork looming in front of him, he pawed at it uninterested for a few minutes examining the scrawled writing and then leaned back in his chair kicking it off the desk in irritation.

"Will's got to be having a laugh." Grell said flicking his hair over his shoulder and crossing his arms, "No field work until I get all this done. Who does he think he is?"

Grell had arrived at dispatch raring to go, the thought of getting back into reaping some souls had nearly distracted him from the thoughts of Rose and how much he was aching to be back home with her, then when he had got there Will had given his orders that Grell couldn't go out to do field work until he had caught up in the office and now he was sat here completely miserable.

Grell sighed as he stared up at the ceiling thinking of Rose wearing only his red silk bed sheet, he grinned widely and closed his eyes imagining what would have happened if he hadn't had to come to work, "My darling, only mine." Grell said whimsically flinging his arms open and pretending to kiss thin air for quite some time.

"Grell Sutcliff." Said a stern voice.

Grell suddenly opened his eyes and lost his balance on the chair falling behind his desk, he scrambled up and peered over the edge, Will was stood in the doorway looking extremely displeased as he waded through all the paperwork on the floor that Grell had knocked off previously, "Hello Will darling." Grell grinned getting to his feet and sitting on the edge of his desk in a sultry fashion.

Will's eyebrow twitched and he tried to keep himself calm, Grell was really trying his patience these days and he was sick of chasing him up on things, "Have you even attempted to do any of this?" Will said picking up a handful of sheets and dropping them on the desk, "Or have you been sat lazing around as usual in your little dream world?"

"You know I'll get it done," Grell said waving him off, "It just takes me a little longer than everyone else, I was never the studious one if you remember, that was always your thing. I was the one with the physical prowess...I should be out doing what I'm good at."

"A little longer?" Will said looking down at his watch, "You've been doing nothing in here for over eight hours?" Will pushed up his glasses and stared down at Grell.

"Huh, really? It doesn't seem that long." Grell said uninterestedly.

"Well it is," Will said angrily and then he sighed pushing up his glasses, "I came to see how you are getting on, it seems those with higher authority are wanting you back out there as soon as possible, your high level skills are required." Will trailed off quietly, he hadn't wanted to say any of this, he knew it would make Grell's head swell up.

"Of course it's only natural _I've_ been missed." Grell grinned leaning over his desk and picking up his chainsaw, he stroked the blade like it was some sort of beloved pet then his eyes shot to Will, "Well then, maybe I can get this done another time if I've been personally asked for, what do you think Will darling?"

Will bit the inside of his lip to stop himself exploding at Grell, "Yes, seems that way." Grell stood up leaning the chainsaw on his shoulder, his eyes wild and full of excitement, it made Will feel slightly ill, Will knew Grell's bloodthirsty nature and that he was a loose cannon out in the field but he got the job done better than most, if he could just keep focused for a moment. "We're taking out the newly approved initiates tonight, one will be assigned to each of us so that we can make sure nothing goes wrong but there shouldn't be a problem."

Grell had forgotten that while he was away the initiates had either passed or failed the final exam, there would be a new team of initiate Shinigami hanging around now, once it might have excited him to see the fresh blood hanging around the office but now his thoughts were only of Rose and how he couldn't wait for this day to be over.

"Great." Grell sneered getting off the desk and following Will from his office.

The office was bustling as usual in the late afternoon, Shinigami rushing around here and there with stacks of records awaiting verification and processing. Will and Grell walked through and the usual heads turned or Shinigami darted out of the way hoping they wouldn't attract the attention of the high level dispatch agents.

Will came to a halt staring across the office and he pushed up his glasses sighing, "Now what."

"Hm?" Grell said looking from Will to where he was staring.

On the other side of the room near the water cooler there were a lot of the female office workers gathered around a tall black suited figure and they were all laughing a giggling as he spoke, many of the girls were all trying to edge in as close as possible but the figure was doing his best to keep them at bay by keeping his huge death scythe out in front of him. Grell's eyes widened as he caught a flash of dark crimson from behind one of the girls and he tried to hold in a gasp as his heart leapt into his throat. Will started towards the back of the room at a faster pace and Grell quickly followed anxious to know if it actually was who he thought it would be.

Grell stopped behind Will who was looking at the group of giggling girls with scorn and peered over his shoulder, sure enough there he was in all his glory looking ridiculously handsome with his dark red hair dressed in his black suit with the girls swooning around him dazedly. The boy finished what he was telling them and they all laughed, then his eyes rose to meet Grell's and a little smile flickered in the corner of his mouth.

"Sempai." The boy nodded to Will and the girls all turned around and froze for a moment under Will's furious gaze then they all scampered away leaving the three Shinigami alone.

"I'm not your Sempai anymore," Will said with a bit of enthusiasm nearly smiling, "This is Grell Sutcliff, your new Sempai," he said gesturing to the stunned red head behind him, "And this is Alex Winter," Will said gesturing to Alex who was smiling assuredly, "Your new problem ."


	11. Chapter 10

Grell couldn't believe what he was looking at.

Sure enough he was yet again face to face with Alex but this time things were different, Grell knew exactly who Alex really was this time, what he couldn't understand was what they were doing here and why they were here. Still, as much as Grell was apprehensive over Alex's presence he couldn't deny that he had sometimes wished to see him once again and now his dreaming had come to life once more before him.

Alex stood leaning on the water cooler with a bemused and haughty expression giving him an aura of arrogance and waywardness that had reminded Grell of himself in his younger days back in his first years at Dispatch. Alex was handsome as ever in his beguiling androgynous appearance, his dark red fringe sweeping across the top of his head obscuring his left Shinigami eye and a small impish smile in the corner of his mouth almost teasing Grell.

"Alex?" Grell said slowly in a confused and inquisitive way as he made sure there was no one around that could overhear them at the back of the room.

"Sem-pai?" Alex said in a mocking tone to Grell. "Is there something wrong?" Alex straightened up and lowered the huge death scythe to his side carrying it easily.

Grell took of Alex's elbow and started pulling him down a deserted corridor out of the way, Alex yanked himself out of Grell's grip with a look of contempt and stepped back just before Grell could pull him round the corner, "What are you doing?" Alex said looking thoroughly disgusted, "Don't start trying things on with me, they warned me about you but I told them I could deal with it."

Grell's eyes widened in outrage, "Rose, what are you doing here?"

Alex's eyes darted about the office noticing all the eyes looking over at them interestedly, Alex huffed and leaned on the scythe, "I don't like being referred to as a flower Sempai but if it makes you feel better then do it," Alex looked around and the eyes were beginning to turn away, "Hadn't we better start on the evening round?" Alex walked past Grell and sauntered down the corridor leaning the death scythe on his shoulder as if it hardly had any weight at all. Grell watched as Alex turned around and waved Grell on with an impertinent look on his face and then he followed after him still wondering what the hell was going on.

London was in darkness as the two figures darted into the night quickly and then finally came atop one of the tall buildings, Alex stopped close to the edge of the building and rested one foot precariously on the very edge whilst he looked over still with his huge death scythe balanced on his shoulder, Grell stopped in the middle of the roof top with the moon silhouetting him from behind.

"Rose?" Grell said eyeing up his beautiful lover dressed so convincingly as a boy.

Alex turned around and saw Grell framed in the centre of the moon and her act failed immediately, she couldn't keep this up when they were alone together, it was hard enough when they had company, but now just the two of them out in the warm night air surrounded by the stars the desire and longing in her eyes shone through and soon he would see.

"What do you think you are doing?" Grell said walking forwards to her noting the look in her eyes and feeling the power regaining over her.

"I came back." Rose said as she watched her red haired lover stride forwards exuding all his charm and flashing that deadly smile with a look in his eyes that could have made her sink to her knees before him but instead she held herself resolutely with her father's words echoing in her mind _'Don't ever forget who you are Blossom.' _"I had to, I need to figure out a way to break that contract between Ciel and the demon, I'm not just going to go back to the life of a noble and not do anything, to spend my nights alone... I belong with the Shinigami, I belong at dispatch...with you."

Grell stopped in front of her and saw the determination on her face she was trying so hard to hold on to, he could also see how fast and shallow her breathing had become with him so close and almost thought he could hear the pounding of her heart beneath the black jacket and waistcoat of her Shinigami uniform. Something crossed Grell's mind, some feeling of déjà vu that he had been in this situation once before but he dismissed the idea quickly.

"I never said you didn't belong," Grell said walking over to the edge of the building and looking over leaning on his chainsaw and then up to her, he couldn't stop Rose from trying to help her remaining family but Sebastian was not to be messed with, he knew that. "Its dangerous to get involved with Sebas-chan, demons are cunning creatures...besides that there are no female Shinigami dispatch agents, and couldn't you just be in the office, if you get caught-"

"If I get caught," Rose said cutting into him, "Then I will just change things again, like I did before." Alex stepped back pushing off the edge and smirked, "In the office? Don't make me laugh, you know I'm far too good to be sat behind a desk," Alex whirled the death scythe once easily in an arc and leaned on it raising an eyebrow at Grell with a sly smile, "And wouldn't it look odd if you started showing interest in said office worker...perhaps their gender having something to do with it might be suspicious?"

Grell blinked a couple of times and didn't really know what to say, he'd never even thought about talking to Rose about his sexual preferences before and now she'd outright just said that she knew that he preferred men, it was a little surprising to hear it and he opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.

Rose smiled, "I think I'm better being Alex, just so that people don't start getting worried about you. You know how convincing I am as Alex so it won't cause any problems if you act like your usual self around me. You can do your job and I can do mine, while at the same time figure out what to do with that demon." Rose swung the death scythe around aptly again just messing around, "Don't worry, we won't get caught out, just be the amazing and beautiful actress you are." Rose swung the death scythe around on purpose so that she was facing the other way, she was blushing furiously at trying to compliment him in a way that would please him and struggling to do it well enough, it had sounded good in her head but now she felt stupid. How could she refer to him in a female way after everything he had done to her and shown how dominantly male he was.

Grell's jaw was hanging open a bit and his cheeks were burning hot to the touch, her words had gone like an arrow straight to his heart and punctured it with what she had said, no one had ever spoken to him like this apart from her, it was like something from his fondest romantic dreams coming into reality the more he was around her, Rose thought he was amazing and beautiful, not only as her butler but as himself and also that she had no problems with him complicated sexuality. He needed to tell her what he had been thinking about earlier, he'd come to the conclusion that he really did feel it, there was no point in denying it any longer, Rose was the one for him.

Rose's heart was thudding, he would probably start laughing at any moment but she never heard the laughter coming, instead she heard something else, footsteps approaching, Rose turned around and Grell was still stood on the other side of the rooftop looking red cheeked and running his finger along his chainsaw as he struggled with some internal battle and words. Rose's eyes darted around the rooftop searching for the approaching footsteps but she couldn't see anyone at first, then from the corner of her eye she saw a violet tinge and she turned and locked on to it.

A tall black figure was approaching them and she could feel its evil aura pulsating, she knew it was him even before he came into view with that wry smile, his presence made her feel sick.


	12. Chapter 11

Sebastian Michaelis loomed out of the darkness observing Grell and the unfamiliar Shinigami atop the roof with him, his eyes darted over Grell with little interest to the other Shinigami and he scanned the dispatch agent over and his eyes narrowed.

"Sebas-chan?" Grell said nervously, "What a surprise, couldn't stand to be away from me for more than a day?" Grell knew that he had to act quickly and convincingly before Sebastian had enough time to get enough proximity to Alex to get a better look at them, Sebastian would notice for sure wouldn't he?

"Hardly," Sebastian said with a sneer as he watched the red haired reaper start moving hastily at him then just before Grell could throw his arms around him he stepped sideways and the Shinigami stumbled past.

"So cold." Grell said picking himself up and sliding in front of Sebastian to block his view of Alex, "You must stop teasing me like this Sebas-chan, when are you going to admit that you want me?" Grell poked Sebastian in the chest playfully and the demon's eyes flashed, Sebastian grabbed hold of Grell's arm by his wrist and twisted it round so that Grell fell to the floor in agony, "Sebas-chan stop it! You're hurting me!"

Rose felt the rage swell up, she could no longer keep control of herself, she knew that Grell had been trying to distract Sebastian from her but she wasn't about to stand there and watch her lover writhe in agony, as quickly as lightning she dashed over and brought her scythe sweeping up through the air, the top of the scythe knocked into Sebastian's hand freeing Grell so that he fell to the floor in a heap but as the blade of the scythe sliced through Sebastian's shirt but he darted backwards in time before it could pierce his skin.

Sebastian landed a few feet away and looked up at his attacker, the boy was stood poised in a half crouch in front of Grell on the floor and had the scythe steadily held in the air blocking Sebastian's chance of getting to Grell. The boy stared at Sebastian with burning hatred gritting his teeth and Sebastian's eyes narrowed as he peered at him.

"Are you alright sempai?" Alex said looking down at Grell who nodded meekly staring up at Alex with wide eyes unable to find words.

"The master will be most upset," Sebastian said looking down at his shirt and then back up again, the boy hadn't moved and Grell was looking quite shocked up at him and then to Sebastian, "Your partner seems rather protective of you...even enamoured I would say..."

Grell felt the blood drain from his face, all it would take would be a few more moments and Sebastian would know for sure that it was Rose. Grell got to his feet looking at Alex who straightened up next to him but didn't lower the blade; Grell gritted his teeth and did what he had to, he pushed the scythe forcefully away and elbowed Alex in the ribs so that he stumbled backwards completely taken off guard.

"How dare you show me up like this in front of Sebas-chan!" Grell barked angrily at Alex trying to catch his breath and looking up in horror at Grell, "You should learn your place, behind me and out of sight; otherwise you'll be out of Dispatch quicker than you can blink! Understand?" Grell said glaring down at Alex.

Rose was still in shock at what was going on, she felt like her heart was going to break at any moment then she caught a glimpse of something in his eyes, a secret sorrow that he was having to act like this but she knew then that he was doing it for her, he didn't want Sebastian to know because if he did then she would surely die tonight and that privilege belonged only to Grell.

"Yes sempai, I'm sorry." Alex said looking guilty and sad down at the floor.

"Good." Grell said turning on his heel and walking towards Sebastian, "Damn kids, think they can do whatever they want. I'm not interested in a brat like him, only a real man like you get me hot darling." Grell said stopping before Sebastian who was still staring at Alex but then seemed to lose interest and stared at Grell instead.

"Don't be so repugnant." Sebastian sneered smoothing out his ruined clothes. "Anyway, it was you I came to see actually."

"Me? Oh Sebas-chan-"

"Enough of that if you please," Sebastian said, "It's actually about your mistress, she seems to be missing." Sebastian said giving Grell a hard look.

"Missing?" Grell said trying to feign ignorance.

"Yes missing," Sebastian said coolly, "I went to deliver a letter this evening from the Young Master only to find that the house was in complete darkness. Naturally I assumed that she had an evening engagement so I scoured the city, but alas she is nowhere to be found." Sebastian's eyes stared into Grell so hard that they might have burnt holes right through him, Grell was just standing there looking nervous, "Even more worrying is the fact that wherever she is, she is not accompanied by her butler as you seem to be...here."

"She's not missing," Grell laughed nervously, "She's visiting her father."

"Her father," Sebastian said slowly eyeing up the guilty looking Shinigami, "I assume by that you mean her adoptive father?"

"Of course I do, her real father being dead an all." Grell laughed wondering whether his lie was good enough to convince the demon.

"I see," Sebastian said, "Well let's hope you're right about that because if I find out that you've been up to your nasty old habits of hacking up innocent young women then divine being or not you will be in a very serious situation."

"Are you done?" Alex said walking over, "Sempai's told you where she is, she's safe and he's been with me all this time, I can assure you she's very much alive." Sebastian's eyes shot over to Alex looking over him, they locked onto each others gaze for a moment and then Sebastian turned his glance to Grell, Alex had fooled the demon once again.

"Very well...I'll be leaving now." Sebastian said, "I will seek out your Mistress tomorrow and lets hope she will be safe at the Burnett estate. Also I do hope that your student will be well reprimanded for causing my dishevelled appearance, the young lord will be very angry when I return like this and with no news of his cousin he will not be happy."

"Oh don't worry," Grell said looking down at Alex beside him, "He'll be punished, you can be sure of that." Grell grinned malevolently and Alex flushed slightly looking away down to the floor.

"I hope so." Sebastian said with a final look at the boy still looking guility at the floor with the huge scythe leaning on his shoulder, there was something very very wrong going on but he knew that there was one person that would have the answers he required. "I have plenty more to do before this night is over, good evening then." The Undertaker would be his last visit of the night before he returned to the Phantomhive manor.

Alex and Grell watched at Sebastian shot them both an evil look and smiled wryly before he turned on his heel and walked away, just as quickly as he had appeared from the darkness he descended back into the shadows and disappeared leaving them both alone in silence.

Grell looked over at Alex who was staring at the space Sebastian had left empty behind him, that had been close; Grell could feel a mix of emotions inside of him, "What do you think you were doing?" Grell said and Alex's head snapped up to look at him.

"I could have ended all this right then." Alex said looking into her lover's eyes, she could tell he was angry and she felt slightly hurt and worried by it, had he meant what he had said earlier, did he really only have eyes for a real man? Something she could pretend to be so convincingly but never actually be after all; Alex looked away, she didn't want him to see how attached she already was to him, she loved him after only such a short time of them being together and she had wanted to tell him before but now she felt foolish.

"Let's just forget about this for now." Grell sighed looking off into the distance, the night was drawing on quicker and he just wanted it to end and for them to go back home, he was still struggling with the things he wanted to tell her and maybe if they were alone he might have the courage to tell her, he didn't know how, but he had to. Rose had become so precious to him and he didn't want to loose her to a demon, her soul was his and he needed her to know why it was his.

"Come on darling, we've got a lot of work to do." Grell grinned at Alex flashing his best smile, Alex smiled smugly feeling a bit guilty, then they both swung their scythes up through the air and ran forwards darting off the rooftops into the distance.


	13. Chapter 12

Sebastian entered the Undertaker's parlour, as usual it was dark and dingy with no sign of life however it didn't take long for the demon's eyes to pick up on the familiar black clad character lurking at the back of the shop, Sebastian's eyes narrowed as the figure approached and he heard the familiar chuckle.

"Well well, the earl's faithful butler, what an unexpected surprise." The Undertaker said as he finally came into view, "It's rather late, and you appear to be on your own, isn't that curious?"

"Hardly curious at all, you know why I'm here." Sebastian said, there was only ever two things people would come to the Undertaker for, to deposit bodies or to get information. "I need information, information that you will probably have."

"Running errands for the earl quite late? What does he need this time?" The Undertaker said sitting on top of one of the coffins with his arms crossed waiting for Sebastian to speak.

"I've come on my own business for once," Sebastian said slowly, "Though it is for the benefit of the young earl and his remaining family."

"Remaining family?" The Undertaker said with his wide growing wider, "Do you mean Lady Burnett? The newest dark discovery to the line?"

"Yes, indeed it is," Sebastian said suspiciously, "I'm assuming you've heard about her vague past."

"Oh yes, I know all about that, its quite an odd unearthing if you pardon my expression." The Undertaker chuckled to himself as he stroked his chin with his long black nails, "Young girl comes out of nowhere, that dark red hair and incomparable beauty claiming to be the lost daughter of Madam Red, yes it's a very odd thing."

"Well I want to know what you know about it all, you seem to be the expert in these things." Sebastian said eyeing the Undertaker who was still grinning widely in an amused fashion. "I have a feeling that things aren't as they seem with Lady Burnett."

"And why is that?" The Undertaker said leaning on his hand and cocking his head sideways.

Sebastian paused, the Undertaker was acting more oddly than usual, like he was waiting for Sebastian to ask the right question, Sebastian knew that the Undertaker knew something that he wanted to know, he had been right in thinking something was wrong and the Undertaker certainly knew about it.

"Let's not beat around the bush Undertaker, we both know each other for what we are, you also know what Grell Sutcliff truly is, you're both Shinigami. Our kind can sense each other very well, but it seems that Lady Burnett seems to also know of my... individuality. Something strange has happened, as a demon I should remember events and occurrences very clearly but I am finding certain memories missing and it all seems to have happened since Lady Burnett came into the picture, I want to know what this is all about..." Sebastian said staring at the Undertaker intently. "I'm quite sure that _you_ know something."

"I know quite a lot of things demon." The Undertaker said straightening up with his smile fading, "But the thing is do I want to tell you? What would I gain from telling you what you want to know?"

"Your amusement seems to be your top priority, is it not?" Sebastian smiled slyly.

"Yes it is," The Undertaker grinned, "That's why right now I am having a entertaining time watching you clutching at straws!"

Sebastian sighed, "Please, let's not make this difficult, I just want to know about her past, I can pay you the normal way." Sebastian said but he watched as the Undertaker shook his head and crossed his arms.

"Sorry butler black, but that won't be necessary as there's nothing to tell of Lady Burnett's past." The Undertaker said peering up at Sebastian from under the brim of his hat, "Nothing at all."

"So she has nothing to do with this? Sebastian asked, yet again another dead end.

"I didn't say that did I? I simply said there is nothing to tell of her past." The Undertaker grinned.

"Forgive me but I might ask you to stop talking in riddles, its been a long night and my fuse is rather short, I would like us to remain on civil terms." Sebastian said trying to remain calm, it was slightly angering him that the Undertaker was acting in this fashion when Sebastian wanted to know the truth, a truth that was hidden even from him, he didn't like it. "What are you trying to say?"

The Undertaker paused for a moment, like he was mulling something over in his mind then he finally spoke, "It's not Lady Burnett you need to be worried about, its Alex Winter that you should really be seeking information on." The Undertaker said.

"The reaper that was with Grell tonight." Sebastian said monotonously, he had known there was something suspicious about that boy from the start but something was blocking his mind from focusing properly on it and that was where the problem was lying, "I need to know what's happened, something is stopping me from remembering. You need to tell me, for the sake of my master."

"You're very attached to the Earl aren't you? It would be a shame if you two were ever to come to the end of your contract, don't you think?" The Undertaker said vaguely.

"That is neither here nor there; it has nothing to do with the current circumstances." Sebastian said flatly trying to avoid the topic.

"It has everything to do with this." The Undertaker said quietly.

"Whatever has happened," Sebastian said completely ignoring the Undertaker's last remark, "I believe it not only to be affecting myself but the young lord also and I must look after my lord's best interests. Undertaker, tell me what I need to know about this boy."

"Boy?" The Undertaker said cocking his head again and chuckling, "What boy?"

Sebastian could feel the rage building up in him but he kept calm, "I must insist that you stop speaking like that and tell me what I want to know before we both end up in a situation we'd like to avoid. So Undertaker, I will ask you only one more time about the boy, who..." Sebastian stopped and trailed off, his mind had only just caught on to something and he couldn't believe he hadn't realised it before, he looked to the Undertaker who was smiling again.

"And I was under the impression nothing got by you." The Undertaker said.

"This is impossible." Sebastian stated still shocked that he couldn't have seen this before, "It seems the master and I have been under false pretences all this time, am I correct in thinking that Lady Burnett has nothing to do with the master then?"

"Nothing at all." The Undertaker said, "They're not even related."

"Then who is she and what has she got to do with all this?" Sebastian demanded.

"Might you not want to ask her all this?" The Undertaker suggested, "I could tell you but wouldn't it be more interesting to hear it from her? To ask her about why she used the Death Bookmark?"

"The Death Bookmark?" Sebastian said, this was serious, he knew all about the dangers that lie with the Death Bookmark, it could change history and eradicate memories, what had she wiped away that had happened? He knew that there was only one way to retrieve memories that had been removed by using the Death Bookmark. "Only Shinigami can use the Death Bookmark, so she's Shinigami then?"

"Full blooded I can assure you." The Undertaker said standing up and straightening out his robes.

"I see. Thank you for your illuminating information, I must be going, I now have a very serious matter to attend to." Sebastian said turning to go, he had to go and find Grell and that girl, whoever she was, they knew the truth about what had happened and been wiped from his and his Lord's minds. Sebastian wouldn't let them off easily; Grell had crossed him too many times now and this girl had now drawn the same fate as her red butler for making a fool of a demon; Sebastian knew what he had to do to retrieve the memories.

"Hold on, I'm coming with you," The Undertaker said walking after Sebastian who turned and looked over his shoulder with a discerning look but didn't say anything to stop him, "I will take this evening's events as payment for that information so don't let me down butler," The Undertaker grinned and peered through his long fringe with his luminous green eyes, "This is going to be a very very entertaining night for us all."


	14. Chapter 13

The cinematic record spilled out into the air wildly, the flickering images of dying man on the floor highlighting the two reapers as they darted around the alley in a staggered fashion in the strobe effect, it didn't take long before the both ended the struggle and stood silently looking down at the man in his last final moments, then all was quiet and the man exhaled his final breath.

"Is it always like this?" Alex asked kneeling next to the man and closing his eyes gently.

"Not always." Grell said watching Alex with a confused expression, he'd never felt much compassion for the human race, they were merely customers but Alex made him wonder if there was more to them than he gave them credit for. "Your first reap." Grell said watching Alex rise but still looking down at the man with a solemn expression deep in thought.

"My first..." Alex trailed off closing their eyes and sighing deeply.

"What's wrong? You did well." Grell said leaning against the wall and pulling out a log book and pen and then quickly drawing a line through the man's name. Grell looked up to Alex, there was something definitely wrong, Alex was doing their best to hide a pained expression as they turned their head away. "You did," Grell said putting the book away as he walked over and threw an arm around Alex's shoulders, "In face you're a little too good, I'm getting jealous."

Alex pulled out of Grell's arm and walked across the alley and turned around, "Why does life have to end? That man had a family and so much to live for, so many years left. So much they could still yet accomplish if given the chance."

Grell blinked, he couldn't understand why Alex was acting like this, it was very unusual, "It's our job, we can't interfere in the grand scheme of things."

"Why not? Haven't we interfered already?" Alex said giving Grell a hard look.

"You need to be careful what you say." Grell said in a concerned way, "You're starting to sound like your father now and deserters aren't the most liked types in dispatch, you know what happens to deserters if they're caught or found out."

Alex was starting to worry Grell, he knew that her past and involvement with a renowned deserter like the Undertaker would have certainly affected how she thought about things but he didn't want her to get out of control with the Death Bookmark, a time would come when she would rewrite history so much that the natural balance would be thrown into Chaos. Of course Grell wasn't one to follow the rules either but more than anything he cared about her now, they had a future and he wanted it to continue without any more changes to their lives.

"You still want my soul." Alex said suddenly taking off their glasses. "You still want to kill me."

Grell stared at Alex, no, Rose; despite her appearance he couldn't see her as anything but Rose now, the woman he impossibly loved. Grell knew what was bothering her now, he could see it written all over her face, she thought his feelings towards her were exactly the same as when they had met, that he was bent on killing her but first he wanted to put her through an endurance of pain and punishment for what she'd done in the past, but she was wrong.

It was time, time to tell her the truth, but not here in the wake of death.

Grell walked over to Alex quickly and hooked his arm around their waist pulling them in close to his body and peering down at them over his glasses with a wide grin, he leaned in close to Alex's ear and whispered, "Come on darling, we're done for the night, let's go home, the paperwork can wait until tomorrow."

Rose couldn't tare her eyes away from her red reaper; her mind had been heavy with thoughts of her lover's true intentions towards her but now looking into those eyes she lost herself again. Rose wanted him to love her more than anything now that she knew she was in love with him but she felt as if she were setting herself up for despair. If she told him her feelings and he did not return them and that she were only his plaything for however long he was interested then it would destroy her.

"Won't Will be angry?" Rose asked, another thing that played on her mind a lot of the time, his general interest for the males that surrounded him.

"Will's always angry, you should know that by now." Grell grinned pressing his forehead against hers and nudging his nose against hers playfully, "Since when did you care about that?"

Rose smiled despite herself, it was time to give up on living in ifs, but and maybes, Rose didn't have anything to lose, if he did feel how she feared then her broken heart would never have a chance to mend, his intentions would see to that. Rose's cheeks burned at the intensity of his stare and her body flooded with a warmth from the danger that surrounded Grell, she loved him more than anything because he held her whole life in his murderous hands and it thrilled her. Grell made her feel alive more than anything.

"Besides, you still need that punishment for ruining Sebas-chan's suit." Grell whispered running his rose along her jaw line and then kissing her gently on the neck and nipping it slightly with his sharp teeth; Rose gasped in a way he always loved to hear, a way that turned him on more than anything, he wanted them both at home and he wanted it now.

"Home then." Rose said as he grip loosened on the scythe and she let it slide slowly through her hand so that the blade hit the floor; she curled the fingers of her free hand around the edge of his waistcoat below his bow for support as she began to fell weak under the power he had over her. Before Rose had chance to realise what was going on he had pulled her off into the night back to their town house leaving the man's body alone to be found by whoever poor soul stumbled across him next.

Grell and Rose dropped into the garden at the back of the town house without a sound, they walked very slowly together, Grell with his arm around her shoulders on the right and Rose with her arm around his waist on the left, both of them carrying their scythe's over their shoulders and neither of them saying anything, in the next few moments they would both have to admit something to each other and both of them were nervous about the outcome.

Grell led the way over to a part of the garden they both remembered very well, it had been the spot where they had both realised their attraction to each other whilst under disguises, Rose hiding her true self under the pretence of a lady and Grell hiding his true Shinigami nature under the pretence of her butler. They both remembered how they had grown attached to each other, spending warm afternoons in the rose garden, conversing as he brushed her long hair and she spoke openly for the first time in her life.

As they sat down on the wall both of them let their scythe's drop onto the floor without a care, the silence between them had lasted too long and it had seemed like an eternity since they had last been alone and free to act as they truly felt, neither afraid to show their true self to each other. Grell reached around the back of Rose's head and pulled at the loop of the ribbon sharply, it came away in his hand and her long hair fell down her back free, then he took off her glasses and threw them onto the grass with slight impatience.

Rose didn't stop Grell at first as he proceeded to try and free her from her Shinigami uniform but then did, Rose took hold of his wrists but he shook them away and pushed the jacket off her shoulders unbuttoning the waistcoat and a rising look of hurt appearing on his face, there was something wrong with him this time. Rose pulled away from him grabbing at her shirt and pulling it closed across her body, she was used to him being rough with her and she liked it but things were different, he had a strange expression.

"Come here, take off that damned outfit." Grell said leaning forwards and pulling her back to him, "I don't want you wearing it here..." Grell said nearly ripping the shirt off her, "I don't want you wearing it at all!"

"Grell stop it!" Rose said pulling backwards trying to free herself from him in his maddened state but instead he fell forwards on top of her.

As Rose lay there with him leaning his head on her bare stomach she thought he might sit up any moment and continue but he didn't, instead he placed his hands on either side of her bare body above her hips gripping her hard but not hurting her, she could feel him trembling slightly and then she felt something on her skin, something wet. Rose looked down and saw Grell's face contorted in anguish with one of his beautiful eyes blurred by tears and her heart leapt into her throat.

"I want you to be you, I don't want you pretending to be something else anymore, I'm sick of living pretending to be something else, I don't want it!" Grell sobbed angrily, "I've been lying to you, fighting the truth because I couldn't accept it. I don't want to anymore!" Grell jerked up off her and pulled her up forcefully by her shoulders to him so that they were inches apart and she could only stare shocked into his streaming eyes. "I need to tell you something, something I've wanted to tell you for so long that it seems like forever." Grell let his grip loosen on her shoulders and Rose's face eased slightly, her heart was pounding against her chest and she could barely breathe.

"Sorry to ruin the moment." Said a voice so close to Grell and Rose that it made them jump at the sudden sound of it. Both of their heads shot round to the side and their eyes locked on to Sebastian who was about two feet from them and smiling evilly, "But I'm afraid I must intercede."

Grell put his arm in front of Rose and leaned in between her and Sebastian protectively, the game was up now, there was nothing he could say or do to cover up their tracks this time, all he could do was protect her the best way he could and try and get them away from here before Sebastian had a chance to act.

"I knew there was something odd going on all along." Sebastian said eyeing Rose cruelly with his crimson eyes, "But what I want to know is what you've made myself and the master forget and..." he paused and his eyes flashed brightly with his demon power surging through, "Who exactly you are after all...Shinigami."

Rose's eyes narrowed, she hated Sebastian and she could finally end this awful contract with Ciel tonight, "I am Lady Alexandra Rose Burnett and you will not talk to me like that! This ends tonight demon." Rose said trying to move Grell out of the way so that she could pick up her scythe but he pushed her back.

Sebastian chuckled, "Lady Burnett indeed. Isn't that also a pretence? Am I right in thinking that she has absolutely nothing to do with Madam Red?" Sebastian asked but he wasn't aiming the question at Grell or Rose instead he glances back over his shoulder drawing the two Shinigami's eyes to another figure who had been loitering just out of their sight until now.

The Undertaker.

"That's right, nothing at all." The Undertaker grinned over at them all.

Rose's eyes widened as she took in the image of her father, "What are you doing?" she asked confused, this wasn't making any sense, why was her father here with Sebastian.

"Little blossom, always so naive." The Undertaker said walking over and standing behind Sebastian still wearing a large grin on his face. Grell and Rose got to their feet still holding on to each other in their confusion at the situation arising around them.

"Why are you supporting these lies?" Rose said imploringly to her father, this was breaking her heart, "You're supposed to protect me!"

The Undertaker's smile faded, "I've been protecting you for so long and you still haven't learned a damn thing." He said quietly peering out at her through his silver hair with him luminous eyes, "After all these years, you still can't tare yourself away from him. I am going to have to try things over again?"

"What are you talking about father! I don't understand!" Rose said as her eyes started to well up. Grell was confused as well, he looked down at Rose's grief stricken face and something inside him snapped, even if the Undertaker was her father he was still going to hurt him for upsetting Rose like this, no one was allowed to make Rose cry, those tears were for him only.

"What the hell are you doing!" Grell shot forwards past Sebastian and grabbed onto the Undertaker's robes violently shaking him, "How can you talk to your daughter like this you creepy sick bastard!"

The Undertaker grinned and then moved ever so slightly and Grell found himself thrown several feet away into a wall with great force, he slid down onto the floor and tried to pull himself together in his agony, he had not been expecting that. Grell looked over and saw the Undertaker straightening his robes still with a wide smile across his face clearly pleased.

"Anyway," Sebastian said turning his attention back to Rose, "Would you like to tell me what's going on then? Or am I going to have to let the truth out itself on its own?" Sebastian watched as Rose spat on the floor at his feet and then leaned over for her death scythe, "Oh dear, such a shame." Sebastian sighed reaching into his jacket.

Grell had gotten to his feet and was clutching his side as he made his way over wiping the blood he'd coughed up from his mouth; Rose had taken hold of her scythe and was now standing back up trying to clear he mind as she planned her attacks, then both Grell and Rose caught a glimpse of something flash as Sebastian made a slight movement.

"I'm sorry, but I really should be getting back to the master." Sebastian said with an evil smile.

Grell looked over at Rose who had turned to look at him over Sebastian's shoulder, there was a strange expression on her face that he had seen so many times before but he couldn't place where then a cold trickle swept down his spine and his eyes widened, it couldn't be _that _look. Grell watched as Rose stumbled slightly and looked down at herself as Sebastian moved out of the way then his heart felt like it had been crushed, "NO!" Grell screeched taking in what had happened.

Embedded in Rose's chest, almost unnoticeable because of how deep it was, a silver knife was shining in the moonlight and a large red stain was spreading across the fabric of her white shirt.


	15. Chapter 14

Rose looked up with her blurring eyes to where the Undertaker had been stood before and now she could make out his hazy image, "Why?" Rose asked as loud as she possibly could.

The Undertaker was not smiling and instead had a hard look on his face, "You'll only disappoint me again blossom, I have to let you go now...you made the decision we can't do this again, didn't you?"

Grell darted forwards and caught Rose in his arms just as she nearly collapsed onto the floor, he lay her gently across his knees whilst shaking and starting to panic, he didn't know what to do, if he pulled the knife out then she would surely bleed to death but if he left it in it would cause her even more damage, "Rose! Rose!" Grell exclaimed, "What have you done!" Grell said turning to Sebastian with murderous eyes.

"It's nice to see you acting differently for once." Sebastian smiled, "I'm afraid it had to be done, her death would be the only thing that would bring back the memories."

"I'll kill you! I swear you're dead!" Grell shouted and was about to get up but he felt a hand on his cheek and turned to see Rose in unbearable pain with blood trickling from her mouth but still trying to smile up at him, "Rose, my darling, everything will be fine, I won't let you die. Not yet." Grell said cradling her gently and wiping the blood from her face. "And you!" Grell said looking up at the Undertaker, "Your own daughter, you really are the lowest of the low, deserter! Why?"

The Undertaker smirked, "She made her decision, there was nothing else to do. You made sure of that."

"What?" Grell exclaimed in fury and looked down at Rose, "This wasn't my fault, I never asked for this." Grell moved her hair away from her face and gripped on to her tightly as he watched the lids of her eyes closing slightly then he shook her and she opened them again, "Don't you dare leave me now, stay with me, don't you remember I made a promise."

"Could you hurry up and die, I don't have all night." Sebastian said coldly walking away from Grell and Rose, "I'll leave you to say your goodbye's."

"Grell." Rose said before Grell could get to his feet and catch up with Sebastian, "I'm sorry, I never meant for any of this to turn out like it did." Rose said as loudly as she could still resting her hand on his cheek, "You promised, just take what you wanted in the first place."

Grell took hold of Rose's hand tightly, he had to tell her before it was too late, he could see her failing already, "I wanted your soul, I said it would be mine but things have changed, I don't want it for the same reason I did before...I want it to mirror mine always, you made me realise so many things about myself I was frightened about...I can't take it, I won't."

Rose smiled, "I don't want anyone else to do it. You have to..." Rose paused, "I feel so cold."

"This life is failing in her." The Undertaker said walking over and hovering above them, "What choice will you make reaper? Will you run from it or face it? Or do I have to intervene once more?"

"I don't know what you're talking about but take one more step and it will be your last." Grell said shooting him a glare that might have set the Undertaker alight at that very moment.

Rose looked up at the Undertaker sadly, had she disappointed him so much that he'd had no choice but to do this to his own little blossom, she couldn't think straight, everything was starting to grow darker, she turned her eyes back up to Grell and red filled her vision lighting her way, "Don't lose my soul, please..." Rose felt herself lose the power to speak, her body felt like ice and completely numb, she couldn't feel anything, death was holding her tenderly and she knew he would do the right thing, "I love you..." Rose strained but then the blackness engulfed her and the red disappeared as she fell into darkness.

"I will never lose your soul darling, it was always mine from the start." Grell said as tears streamed down his face then he let go of her hand and her arm fell limply to the floor. Grell reached back into his red coat underneath and unclipped something attached to his hip belt and withdrew it, it was a small scythe, his initiate scythe, he always carried it in case something happened to his chainsaw, he'd never given it up, something had told him he would need it one day.

"I love you." Grell whimpered knowing his words were too late then he brought the scythe down forcefully into her chest.

Rose's body jerked in his arms and suddenly hundreds of reels on cinematic record started to spill out into the air from where he had pierced her, the scenes played in reverse showing earlier that night then their last few days and then finally it approached the point where Rose had rewritten the history from her, Grell and the others, but something was wrong.

"What's going on?" Sebastian said with a curious expression as he stood next to the Undertaker and all of them including Grell stared up at the records, "Why are they blank?" The records that had spilled from Rose's chest were now flickering with plain black scenes; nothing at all was showing on them. When Sebastian didn't receive an answer he turned and saw that the Undertaker was no longer at his side but a few feet away ginning malevolently.

"Indeed, why are they blank?" The Undertaker said looking down at Grell who was equally confused but still holding on to Rose's lifeless body. "It looks like there was nothing to tell of this life apart from what you've seen. Lady Burnett's life was rather short."

"You said that she's wasn't related to the earl at all, then who was she?" Sebastain said rather intrigued with the situation; The Undertaker merely smiled and said nothing, he was enjoying the butler and the Shingami's reactions to all this.

Grell's mind acted quickly and the confusion left him, "She wasn't Lady Burnett...she wasn't your daughter after all?"

"I certainly hope not. She was never part human until I decided it. She used to be very much like you and I." The Undertaker said with a knowing smile. "It was all a fabrication, something I chose this time around."

"This time around?" Grell said giving the Undertaker a furious stare, "What have you been doing? What did you do to her?"

"Only what she asked me to." The Undertaker said reaching in to his robes and pulling out a small black object and holding it between his thumb and forefinger and shaking it.

"Is that what I think it is?" Sebastian said looking at the small black object which seemed to be the key to unlocking the mystery of what had been going on.

"Yes it is. He's edited her records." Grell said laying Rose gently down on the floor and standing up next to Sebastian and holding out his hand; they both wanted to same thing now but for different reasons, Sebastian wanted it so that he could get back his memories, Grell wanted it because it because it would renew the life she once had and this one would disappear.

If he got hold of the missing piece of record he could save her.

"Give it to me now." Grell demanded. "Give me the missing part of her record."

"Are you sure you want to know the truth? Are you ready to face the past?" The Undertaker said shaking the little tube so that the reel inside rattled around. "I really wanted to hold on to this, I'm very attached to my little blossom after all these years."

"She's not yours anymore, she never belonged to you." Grell said through gritted teeth. "NOW GIVE IT ME!" Grell darted forwards at the Undertaker powering his chainsaw and raising it in the air, he didn't have time, if he left her long enough the mortal part of her would quickly die and she would be lost forever.

"For once we're on the same side." Sebastian said running forwards at Grell's side and taking out his silver knives in one hand, "I might assist you this once Grell." They both darted close to the Undertaker; Sebastian threw his knives which the Undertaker moved out of the way of quickly and then pulled back as the red reaper lunged in and narrowly missed his head with the roaring chainsaw blade and fell past him.

"Here then." The Undertaker said popping the lid of the small black tube and jerking the contents into the air so that they swept across the garden like a long think snake and attached itself to the rest of Rose's spilling reels, "Since you're both so adamant about it."

Rose's eyes snapped open and the reels waved wildly in the air completely out of control, Rose could feel the warmth returning to her body and she began to feel the control coming back into her limbs. There was unbelievable pain coursing through her and a high pitched sound screeching in her head as memories started to flood back, doors opening in locked parts of her mind that had been previously locked shut. Grell and Sebastian fell to the floor screaming and clutching their heads, the same thing was happening to them. The pain seemed to last forever but then it stopped and all three were left panting and shaking on the floor trying to understand what had just happened.

The Undertaker walked over to Rose and knelt by her side, "Hasn't it been fun?" He said as he watched her eyes turn to him full of mixed emotions. The Undertaker ran a black nail down the side of her face and she didn't move to push him away, instead she just stared at him panting heavily and trying to sit up, "I hope you don't think of me too badly now that you remember everything. After all, you wanted it." he grinned one last time and stood up, "I'll see you again, you know that, don't you...blossom." He said and then he walked away.

"So that's what happened. Interesting." Sebastian said sitting up and composing himself, "I imagine what just happened to us will have happened to the master as well...I must return...He will want me there." Sebastian looked at Grell who had just pushed himself up and was on his hands and knees staring down at the grass with wide eyes, "I trust you can handle things from here...I will come back...I feel thanks will be in order to the lady for stopping my master from finding out the truth about his past. Without her help our contract would have surely ended." Sebastian stood up and smoothed out his clothes, he looked over at Rose who was getting to her feet, "I will take my leave now, my regards." Sebastian said to Grell and then walking off.

Grell looked up from the grass straight into Rose's eyes, "It _was_ all my fault..." he said looking away again. Everything made sense now, he remembered everything so clearly, how this had all started and he felt so guilty, "Everything..."

"Grell." Rose said.

Grell looked up, it was like seeing her for the first time all over again, so many new emotions and memories had come back to him, so many years of history nearly forgotten forever. Grell watched as Rose scrambled to her feet and ran over to him, his heart pounded and he too quickly got to his feet and ran towards her catching her in his arms and holding her so tightly, he would never let her go again, nothing could keep them apart this time.

"It wasn't your fault, it was mine, I went to him and asked him to take away all the pain, I'm the one who's sorry. I should have never got involved; I should have learnt my place." Rose said burying her face into his chest and gripping on to him so tightly like he might disappear again. "I made such a terrible mistake, forgetting everything, I just wanted the pain to go away...god I thought I hated you but I didn't."

"I thought I hated you too." Grell said pushing her back so that he could look into her beautiful Shinigami eyes, he smiled, "But we did hate each other at the start...so many arguments, do you remember them now? Screaming and fighting with each other."

"So young and so stupid." Rose said pushing his fringe aside with her hand and running her fingers down through his long hair, "Your hair got so long."

"And you got more beautiful." Grell said taking her hand and bringing it up to his mouth, he took one of her fingers and bit it hard drawing blood then he licked it off her finger, "I hated you so much because you were what I wanted to be more than anything, I was so jealous of you."

"I was jealous of you too...and that's how this all started." Rose said running the finger he had just bitten across his lips smearing the blood, "I wanted to be like you."

"Rose...I should have told you so long ago..." Grell paused tilting her chin up to him, "I was in love with you, I was always in love with you, right from the start, I just couldn't accept it, you knew what I was like...and how confused I was going through feelings I thought I could never feel for a woman."

"I was in love with you...but...always in the back of my mind there was...well...there was...your intentions...towards..." Rose trailed off; she knew he would know what she meant.

"Don't you mean someone not something getting in the way of us being together...you mean..." Grell said trailing off too; they both remembered what had been getting in the way of them being together.

Almost a whole century had passed since that fateful day when their futures would be thrown into chaos and they were torn apart. Somehow though they had managed to find each other so many times over and over again, life it seemed, could not keep them apart not matter what happened, their destinies were hopelessly interwoven.

"I'll never make such a stupid mistake ever again." Rose said stroking Grell's cheek tenderly.

"And I wont ever give you the chance to my darling, my sweet Rose. I love you." Grell said leaning forwards and kissing Rose passionately.

"I love you Grell." Rose said breathlessly between their kisses.

So many times they had kissed before but this time it felt like the first time all over again, back when they were young and naive, back when they had hated each other, back in those first few months iof their training and graduation.

Dispatch 1799.


End file.
